Something is wrong, yet only Alice and Regina seem to have noticed it.
"Either take a pic or stop looking at me like that. I already said I'm fine like ten times already." Targo (Alice's tentative name for her archer's other self. Not that she's said it out loud yet) warns her eyes leveled at her aunt rather than Alice. She hadn't made any kind of move to the meal they'd offered her choosing instead to stalk back and forth like a caged lioness just waiting to strike while the others ate occasionally muttering to herself every so often as she moved.
"How about you stop pacing like that and we'll think about believing you." Robin suggested around a bite of her sandwich keeping her other hand tightly clasped in Alice's. Not that the blonde minded much. The contact kept her from going over to do the same thing with 'Targo' Robin the longer the other woman paced.
"Look as much as I want to test this theory of yours the author is no use to me half dead." Targo argued her eyes seeming to glow that deep green that has Alice both nervous and enticed but there was also a lingering hollowness in her eyes that pains Alice more every time she noticed it.
Rogers had long since departed taking the Sheriff back to the house on Mifflin to rest properly. They'd had to take a chance on leaving both dark bound books in the vault not knowing the effect actually seeing them would have on 'Targo' let alone what could happen if she held one of them so while Alice was acting as a distraction by asking about the meaning behind the small image of an anchor on Targo's bow arm Regina and Zelena sealed the room with as much magic as they could without arousing too much suspicion.
"Babe any other day I'd love the attention but stop staring." The black dressed archer laughed the pain behind her eyes lessening the instant her gaze met Alice's. "No seriously Jones stop it or hero over there will be pulling a me really soon." She added finally picking up the shake Zelena had offered her hours ago giving the dazed blonde a teasing smile as she started chewing on the end of the straw taking a seat as far from her glaring other self as Regina's vault would let her.
"And before you ask hero yes I think it is exactly how she felt." Targo scoffed after taking a long drink of the shake nearly draining it in one go yet surprising everyone when she didn't get a brain freeze because of it as she reclaimed the camp bed in the corner of the room making Regina and Zelena exchange a worried glance when the archer's eyes lingered on the door guarding the book then returned to staring at the ceiling.
All eyes turned to the Robin on Alice's other side including Alice's "Wondering if you felt as annoyed when you split with EQ." she explained in a low annoyed voice her eyes sliding from Targo to Regina then down to her lap while Alice leaned in pressed a comforting kiss against her fiancée's shoulder
"How much magic do you keep down here?" Targo wondered massaging her temples her eyes still going to the door of the room housing the books.
"Nearly all I have left." Regina answered automatically exchanging a glance with her sister the longer the darker archer looked at the chipped wood of the alcove door.
"How about you go rest for a little while love either that or eat something," Alice suggested making both Robin's look at her rather than the door this time. "Even for us, this is a lot to take in one day." She laughed and for once 'Targo' joined in nervously brushing her own hair back behind her ear as she dropped her eyes nodding in agreement.
"Yeah." Targo agreed with the ghost of a smile on her lips "but I'm not hungry right now so I guess I'll try sleeping." She shrugged "That air mattress still in the same place?" she asked making Regina node mechanically her mind pulling her back to the last time she'd used the bed in question. "Mind if I use it?" an all so different Robin Hood asked earning another stiff node from the Good Queen of the U.R. "Night then." The archer shrugged giving Alice a lingering look before departing for her 'room'.
"It must be like the pull of the dagger was on Emma." Regina suggested as soon as they were sure Targo was out of earshot using all her willpower to keep from sinking too much into her own memories. "And obviously just as powerful." She noted, "Then we need to move them both no matter what the author says she can't be in the same place with it overnight who know what she'll do if the pull gets too strong." Robin says her tone telling the others not to argue with her.
"Alright, but how do you except to distract her while we walk them out of here? Knock her over the head?" Zelena says meaning it as a joke yet no one laughed not even her.
Robin was already shaking her head "She'll be expecting us to do something like that. I would. And using any more magic to shield them will only make her even more suspicious of what we're keeping from her." She archer explained her eyes finding and holding Alice's after their long contemplation of the magickly sealed corridor housing her other half. "How can you even think of asking me to do something like that?" the blonde answers her arms folding across her chest while she reads some unspoken suggestion in Robin's gaze.
"It's the only way to know for sure that she'll be completely distracted enough to even think of lowering the protection around the book." Robin says Alice curses at that reminding them all of who her father is with the language. "How is that even a solution to you? That would be like holding up a giant flashing sign that says, 'Targo we're trying to distract you so please go along with it, so we don't have to knock you unconscious.' it's idiotic and cruel and I'm not going to do it." She answers flicking her long hair over one shoulder.
"Trust me, baby, this is my absolute last resort idea." Robin says honestly
"Well to bad think of a new idea." Alice growls when Robin still refused to look away "I'm not going to use your….I mean her feeling toward me against her like that." Alice says her voice now a low snarl while Robin stays quiet and Regina and Zelena look between the two as if watching an incense tennis match both trying to work out just what Robin was asking Alice to do.
"Come on its not like you haven't already thought about it." Robin bargained after a short pause catching the other three off guard with the change in her tact now leaning back against the stone archway her arms like Alice's crossed over her front while one of her legs bent at the knee as her foot rested against the side of a stack of heavy looking trunks that lined the walkway the other planted firmly on the ground.
"She's still you or at least a version of you." Alice agrees all watching unable to miss the pink tent to her cheeks her tongue flicking out to wet her lips as her eyes flickered toward the hallway leading to where Robin's doppelganger had chosen to stay. But just as quickly as the look happened it was gone, and Alice's face smoothed into an unreadable mask.
"Just think of it like I'm the one having the bad day. This is the only way to be sure the book won't corrupt me….her." Robin says pushing away from the archway to step into Alice's personal space much like 'Targo' had done minutes earlier making Alice's mind short circuits while Robin's warm breath brushed against her ear in a whispered. "Help me Tower Girl please."
"Fine." Alice caved the blush momentarily returning to her cheeks while she tried to remember how to breathe. "But only because she owes me a proper dance."
"She owes you a what now?" Robin asked but Alice doesn't answer her turning instead toward Regina "Have you got any medical supplied handy I want to check that knife wound on her shoulder as well make sure she hasn't broken the sticks." Regina nodded getting up to gather up what Alice might need rather than using her magic to summon everything while Zelena moved over to talk quietly with her daughter. "What's with the wardrobe change?" Regina asked bringing the other two back to the world around them before the talk became a whispered argument while she handed Alice the supplies she'd asked for.
It was Robin's sharp inhale that answered for them when her head turned to look.
Alice had gone back to sporting a skirt rather than the ripped black jeans she'd adopted from Tilly's wardrobe as well as changed into the form-fitting peasant style shirt and corsets she'd loved before the curse but instead of white and blue like they were used to seeing her shirt was now a pinkish red and the corsets over it was a faded charcoal.
"You've been holding out on me." Robin accused her mouth going dry at the sight "You said distract you Nobin." Alice reminded her with a sly wink "Make sure to soundproof the archway please." She whispered as she passed the other two following in the direction Targo had gone.
Question for next chapter: Would anyone want a mini-chap about what happened between Alice and 'Targo' or not?