Disclaimer, you know.
Dorothy did indeed stay for dinner at the Teak's house. Mr. Teak drove her and her pets home afterwards, when she got home she went to her room and changed into a night gown and went to bed. waking up early she found Madeline walking into her room stirring a cup of tea.
"morning." She said.
"hey." Dorothy said stretching.
"sleep well?" Madeline asked setting the tea down on the dresser.
"yep." Dorothy said getting up.
"Aislynn is already awake, writing addresses of people on envelopes." Madeline said.
"I hate it when he gets up early." Dorothy said.
"she means well, she's going to her manor later today I believe." Madeline said.
"yes, she and Ellie are in charge of decorating this year." Dorothy said.
"so, it will just be us?" Madeline asked.
"I guess." Dorothy said.
"well, we could go to emerald city." Madeline suggested.
"and do what? You've got a hat to work on, and Glinda rarely lets Ozma leave the palace." Dorothy said.
"well, you could help Brianna with her holiday cookies." Madeline suggested.
"no thanks, I don't bake, auntie Em can tell you some rather nice stories." Dorothy said.
"well, you can't just sit around here all day." Madeline said.
"I know Maddie, but what else is there? I can't bring toto to the park it's too deep in snow, I guess I could go back to Alex's but there's really nothing for me to do there apart from keep him company." Dorothy said.
"well, you could go visit your parent grave." Madeline suggested.
"Maddie." Dorothy groaned.
"okay, okay I know." Madeline said.
"Maddie, I think I might go to Mr. Foreman's today." Dorothy said.
"that seems like a nice idea dear, Jon could use the company." Em said walking in.
"Auntie Em, did we wake you?" dorothy asked.
"no dear, your cousins did." Em said.
"They need their own room." Dorothy said.
"I know, I'll have to have Mr. Teak make them some beds." Em said.
"well, if you guys have stuff planned for the day I have to finish the hat I'm making for the former general Jinjur." Madeline said producing her wand.
"alright Maddie, if you need me though you know where to find me." Dorothy said.
"remember dorothy, I hear your thoughts if I want to, I'll know if you need me." Madeline said vanishing.
"she really scares me sometimes." Em said.
"and you know what the worst part is?" dorothy asked.
"what?" Em asked curiously.
"the fact that she's me." Dorothy said getting up and going into her wardrobe.
"good point, but she's not really you, she's a projection of you, you said it yourself." Em said.
"but she has all my memories, can tell me what I'm thinking, feels all the emotions I feel, but she has her own free will, other than that, underneath it all, she's my reflection." Dorothy said.
Em shook her head and left the room. Dorothy sighed and changed into some of her nicer clothes as to look presentable when she went to Mr. Foreman's today. She even considered bringing one of the hats Madeline left with her but immediately decided against it. at quarter passed ten in the morning dorothy left the farmhouse, carrying an invitation Aislynn had made for him and started up the road towards Mr. Foreman's house. The house had once been owned by a lady by the name of Ms. Kepelsen a widow, who maintained the orchard in her backyard. As she arrived at the house and walked up the steps she heard what sounded like violin music. Knocking on the door the music immediately stopped. A few seconds later the door opened and she was face to face with the tall thin figure of Jon Foreman.
"ah, dorothy, your aunt called earlier, she said you might drop by, please come in." He said.
"Thank you, Jon, oh, I have invitation from ace." Dorothy said handing him the envelope.
"Christmas party?" he asked taking the envelope and setting it on the nearby table.
"Yep." Dorothy said putting her coat on the coat rack and starting to pull off her boots.
"I'll take those for you dear, you just go to the living room, help yourself to some sweets." He said.
"Thank you, Jon." Dorothy said walking to the living room.
Dorothy had never actually been in Mr. Foreman's house before, she had been in the backyard, the orchard, several times, but had never had much of a reason to be inside. As she entered the room she found it relatively well decorated for the holidays. But on the fireplace mantle she saw pictures. One that caught her eye however was a photo of her parents, holding her as a baby her aunt and uncle had the exact same picture.
"I remember when your parents sent me that, they were so happy when you were born." Jon said walking into the room.
"Jon, do you ever miss them?" Dorothy asked, her face falling.
"I remember your parents, I remember their deaths, the funeral, they were great people, and to be honest, yes, I do miss them." He said.
Dorothy sighed and sat down on a relatively overstuffed armchair. A pain in her chest was starting again.
"Jon, why does it hurt to think about them?" Dorothy asked as a tear trickled down her face.
"because you were young when they died, you watched your mother breath out her last breath right in front of you, your father's death broke your heart, and you had to witness that day more than once, yes, I was told about the hall of time, and who knows, perhaps one day you'll come to terms with it." Mr. Foreman said picking up a candy bowl and offering it to her.
Dorothy thanked him and took a few caramels before wiping her face.
"I don't like the memories." Dorothy sniffed.
"You know, I have some funny tales I could tell you about your parents." Jon said chuckling
"Like what?" Dorothy asked wiping more tears from her face.
"Well, where to start, one Halloween your uncle and father were trying to scare small children from that tree in the middle of the park." Jon said.
"I don't see how that's funny." Dorothy said.
"well, they stayed there for hours, shouting boo at small children, I was there, I was watching from my office window, however your father slipped in a way that was so strange that his foot got caught in a v-shaped branch and he was stuck hanging upside down." Jon said.
Dorothy couldn't help but giggle at this. The thought of both her father and uncle in a tree, with her father hanging upside down by his ankle.
"Okay, that's funny, the thought of that." Dorothy said.
"That's not all though, a few moments later, as I was going out to see if I could help, your uncle somehow ended up in the exact same situation." Jon said trying to repress a chuckle
At this point dorothy was laughing.
"I don't know how it happened, but somehow they both managed to get stuck in the same situation." Jon added.
"and my mother?" dorothy asked.
"She was there too, on the ground, laughing, she had showed up to try and get them out of the tree and stop antagonizing the kids." Jon said.
"D-did you get them down?" dorothy asked through laughing.
"I did, and your late grandfather gave them such a scolding when I called him." Jon said.
"Serves them right." Dorothy said.
"oh, it was hilarious, it took me no more than twenty minutes to get them both out of the tree, they were around your age at the time and they were white as a sheet from the experience." Jon said
"wait a minute, you mentioned my grandparent, were they nice people? My uncle never talks about them, and I never got the chance to ask my parents." Dorothy said
"your grandparents, on both your father, and your mother's sides were some of the kindest and most generous people you could have ever known, it's a shame you never got to meet them." Jon said walking over to the fireplace.
"you don't have a picture of them I assume" dorothy said.
"'Fraid not, but I'm sure your aunt and uncle have some photos, there may even be some at your old house." Jon said.
"Well, I don't think I'm ever going back there." Dorothy said.
Jon turned to her and smiled. he walked over to her and knelt so he was making eye contact.
"the house was left to you in your parents will, the Johnsons only act as caretakers for the house until you one day return to it." He said.
"I don't know if I'd be able to handle it Jon, it hurts too much." Dorothy said opening one of the caramels she had grabbed and popping it in her mouth.
"Well, if and when you do decide to return there, we will all be right beside you, to support you." Jon said.
"thanks Jon" Dorothy said smiling.
"now, how would you like to try a jar of apple preserves?" He asked.
"you preserve apples for the winter?" Dorothy asked.
"apples and peaches, two of the best thing to preserve." He said.
"Well, I'd love to try some if it's not too much trouble." Dorothy said.
"it's why I offered, I'll be right back." He said heading for the kitchen
Meanwhile in emerald city
Ozma had taken to sitting on her throne, Glinda was sitting at the back of the chambers watching over dorothy in the crystal ball.
"I Think it's nice that dorothy is keeping Jon company, he needs it." Glinda said smiling.
"Glinda, can you teach me how to swim later?" Ozma asked.
"Certainly dear, as you said, later." Glinda said.
Ozma sighed and drummed her fingers against the throne, she was getting bored and rather lonely. Sure, there were plenty of people in the city but they all seemed busy. The only ones who at least attempted to talk to her were Alyssa and Brianna, though Alyssa was making her wedding plans most of the time.
"Glinda, is there anything interesting I can do?" Ozma asked.
"I'd have to think, I'm not sure." Glinda said.
Ozma sighed and got up, sometimes she just wanted to wave her wand and go to Kansas with dorothy. Or even tag along with Madeline.
"I'm going to go see what Madeline is doing." Ozma said.
"alright, don't stray too far." Glinda said.
"I swear she acts like she's my mother." Ozma said under her breath as she left the chambers.
Walking to Madeline's room which wasn't far from the chambers. So, it wasn't much of a walk, as she walked into the room she found Jack asleep on the couch snoring loudly, Morris and Wendell sitting at a card table playing cards, and Madeline sewing some silver buttons around the perimeter of the hat she was working on for Jinjur.
"Oh, Ozma, come in take a seat." Madeline said.
Ozma nodded and walked over to a nearby chair.
"the hat is coming out nicely, I'm positive Jinjur will like it." Ozma said.
"oh, I'm certain she'll love it, it's her mood I worry about, I heard the other day she was out buying bread and suddenly started screaming at the top of her lungs about random nonsense." Madeline said.
"yes, I had to see to that, I don't know what's wrong with her, but Glinda was giggling like mad when we were talking to her." Ozma said.
"That's unlike her." Madeline said.
"I know, but I'm not too concerned about it." Ozma said.
"I know she doesn't let you have what you would call 'Fun' but you need to cut Glinda some slack, she's not used to overseeing royalty." Madeline said.
"she oversaw scarecrow." Ozma said.
"no, scarecrow learned from his own mistakes, Glinda just stepped in every now and again to help, but Glinda practically watches you like a hawk." Madeline said.
"tell me about it." Ozma said drumming her fingers against the table.
"look, I have an idea, and I know Glinda isn't going to like it." Madeline said
"ooh, something sneaky?" Ozma asked.
"very." Madeline said.
"ooh, I want to hear it, it's been so dull stuck in the palace all the time." Ozma said.
"Right, but first." She replied looking at jack who was still snoring quite loudly.
Madeline smiled and picked up her wand. She shot a spell at jack which jolted him away.
"oi! Alright, I'm awake!" Jack shouted.
"Why are you shouting!?" Madeline shouted.
"because you zapped me!" he said
"you were snoring and it was quite distracting." Madeline said.
"Mads, you can't zap me every time I start snoring, one day you'll put my eye out." He said stretching
"Boss what's your little idea?" Wendell asked
Madeline chuckled and smiled.
So, what is Madeline's plan? Will dorothy get any more of her parents past? Will Ozma really enjoy it? will Glinda be rather miffed as a result? Read on to find out, or leave a review with a guess.
