Disclaimer, you know.

"So, where are your other friends?" zeb asked as he helped dorothy with her bags and the carrier.

"Already on the train to get some seats." Alex said walking over.

"Dorothy, give our best to your aunt and uncle." Melinda said.

"I will auntie Melinda." Dorothy replied.

"and thank you for helping out around the ranch." Uncle Bill said.

"don't mention it, anyways, you and uncle ned better take care of your selves." Dorothy said.

"we'll do our best." He said chuckling.

"ALL ABOARD!" they heard the conductor yell.

Dorothy smiled and hugged Zeb before joining alex on the train.

This was three days before. Dorothy felt herself being shaken awake. Stretching and yawning she looked and found that the train was pulling into the station. Now of course when dorothy said that her friends had already been on the train to get some seats, she had told a little lie. She knew her friends had gone on ahead using magic. She looked at alex and smiled.

"dorothy, I imagine we're home now so can you please let us out, it's getting cramped in here." toto said.

"when we're safely in the station I'll let you two out." Dorothy said.

Suddenly the came to a halt. Alex grabbed his suitcase as wells as Dorothy's so that she didn't have to carry them. She opened her mouth to try and argue but didn't even get a word out before he shushed her.

"oh, it looks like your aunt and your cousins are receiving us." Alex said.

Dorothy smiled and picked up the carrier with toto and pockets in it. she took a deep breath and looked around to make sure nothing was getting left behind. Content with the cart being empty she and alex exited the train. Dorothy quickly let toto and pockets out when they were safely on the platform. She then immediately ran over to her aunt and hugged her.

"where's your husband?" Alex asked.

"home, with your uncle, working on the tractor, again." Em said sighing.

Dorothy shook her head, released her aunt from the embrace, and then knelt down and was immediately tackled by her three cousins.

"well, I was missed, I should have seen this coming." Dorothy said.

"okay you three, lets help alex get the stuff in the car and go home." Em said.

Toto immediately barked in agreement. As the four of them got up and walked to the car, the moment they were all in, alex handed dorothy the shoebox with the slippers.

"you really can feel those things." he said sitting down next to her.

When they got back to the farmhouse dorothy was met with what appeared to be a small party set up for her. when she emerged from the car two things happened, one, she was immediately rushed by a bunch of her friends, and secondly, she was pulled into a crushing embraced by Glinda.

"give her some air sis." Ellie said.

Glinda released dorothy and dorothy took a few moments to catch her breath before looking at her friends and giving the okay to bombard her with questions.

"dorothy, how was California?" Betsy asked.

"it was nice." Dorothy said.

"did you do anything interesting?" Donna asked.

"that depends on what you would call interesting." Dorothy said.

"what was your family like?" Trot asked.

"they were very nice, but I have a question now, for my aunt and uncle." Dorothy asked turning to her aunt.

"yes sweetheart?" Em asked.

"are there any other living relatives of mine that I should know about that you haven't said anything about?" dorothy asked.

"I have some distant cousins in Australia, but I haven't heard from them in years." Henry said.

"I see, well, just let me get my stuff inside and I'll be right back out." Dorothy said taking her suitcases from alex.

Once she had her things squared away, she changed into the slippers and grabbed the scepter. Immediately it began glowing brightly which then faded, glad to be reunited with its owner at last. Going back outside, she spent the rest of the morning chatting with the others. However rather early in the afternoon Glinda left to check on Ozma and that gave dorothy an idea. Turning to alex, the look on his face told her he knew exactly she was thinking, as did Betsy, trot, and ellie. Though the one thing she had to question was Madeline's absence. It wasn't like her to miss something where dorothy was concerned. However, as the five of them excused themselves to let the adults talk and leave Annabella and Aislynn to play with the triplets. Going inside, taking Alex's hand, she clicked her heels.

"Take us to Oz." She said.

Suddenly she felt herself lurch forward. She realized how much she really missed going to Oz on a regular basis. This did not however, undermine the fact that she was beginning to feel dizzy and sick. Suddenly she felt her feet hit the ground. Leaning against the scepter for support she managed to keep her balance as did alex, who still looked as though he might vomit. Betsy, trot, and ellie however were lying on the floor. Looking she realized they were in the chambers. There was a tea cup on Dorothy's throne and a note as well. Picking it up she cleared her throat and read it aloud.

"Dorothy, Madeline told me you might drop by, gone to Pumpkinhead's, Love Ozma." She read.

"you know, Ozma has been trying to get us to come meet him ever since spring rolled around, but I didn't think it would be right without you here." Ellie said getting to her feet.

"where does he live again?" Alex asked.

"in a large pumpkin, at the edge of the domain between here and Munchkinland." Lion said walking in.

"Lion!" dorothy shouted running over and hugging him.

"dorothy! Where you been kid?" Lion asked.

"I went to California, you know that." Dorothy said.

"I know, I'm just playing." He said

"where's everyone else?" Betsy asked.

"scarecrow is with Ozma, Tin man is out in the city at the tinsmith's getting polished, so I'm here watching the castle." Lion said.

"and the china princess and marshal mallow?" Dorothy asked.

"candy county, on business." Lion replied.

"my comrades?" ellie asked.

"planning meeting for their surprise for Alyssa and Terrance's wedding." Lion said.

"but that's months, if not another year away." Ellie said.

"Elena is just planning it out." Lion replied.

"and wiser?" dorothy asked.

"since he can't go to the kitchens without Brianna here, I imagine working on his landings." Lion said.

"what's the quickest route to Pumpkinhead's?" Betsy asked.

"straight east, I think the munchkin river actually comes pretty close." He replied.

"we can take Tugg then." Dorothy said.

"exactly, well, I'd go with you but someone needs to watch the castle." Lion said.

"you have my blessing." Dorothy said.

However down at a giant pumpkin patch, Ozma, Glinda, Madeline and Jack were examining pumpkins.

"I'm so glad Scarecrow and pumpkinhead are always able to make conversation." Madeline said.

"from on artificial man to another I assume, Ozma said looking at a big round one, "still too green." She said.

"hey Ozma, where is the munchkin river in relation to this patch?" Jack asked curiously.

"about a mile west of here, I brought Tugg down here once late at night, oh Glinda don't look at me like that." Ozma said.

"Ozma, you know I don't approve of you doing things like that." Glinda said.

"I know, anyways, why do you ask?" Ozma asked feeling a large pumpkin for soft spots.

"Because mads has informed me that dorothy, alex, ellie, Betsy, and trot are about halfway here on Tugg." Jack said.

"oh!" Ozma said.

Glinda gasped and closed her eyes. Grumbling she shook her head.

"I can confirm that statement, they're going quite fast as well, they should be coming up to the point any moment now." Glinda said.

"That's good, oh, wow, Dorothy's not enjoying the swift trip at all." Madeline said looking at some orange fabric that she had in her pocket while sitting down on a rather large pumpkin.

" mads, you're looking a bit ill, is she really doing that bad?" Jack asked.

"they'll be here soon, they just disembarked." Glinda said.

And with that Madeline vanished, returning a few minutes later with the group. They five of them looked at the pumpkin patch they were suddenly standing in. Ozma immediately ran over to dorothy and hugged her.

"so, what's on the agenda?" Ellie asked.

"Ozma is trying to find a pumpkin to carve a new head for Pumpkinhead." Jack said.

"his full name is jack pumpkinhead, but I rotate between referring to him as jack and pumpkinhead." Ozma said.

Dorothy chuckled and looked around, immediately a perfectly round bright orange pumpkin. It was right next to the giant pumpkin that pumpkinhead was living in.

"so, how did the pumpkin get so big?" Trot asked.

"lots of work I imagine, I'm not quite sure, oh, there's a good one." Ozma said walking to the pumpkin that dorothy had spotted

Feeling the pumpkin for soft spots, finding none she took a jackknife from her dress. cutting the vine, she picked it up and immediately the door opened. Scarecrow walked out followed by a funny looking figure. He was taller than scarecrow, his entire body, apart from the clothes and the pumpkin appeared to be made of wood. He was dressed in a pink shirt with white spots dotted around it, over which was a tattered red vest. His legs were dressed in a pair of old, tattered purple pants, and on his feet an old rough pair of shoes. His head was a giant jack-o-lantern, with a large happy smile cut into it.

"oh, house guests, might I offer you some pumpkin pie?" He asked.

"can it wait till after I make you a new head?" Ozma asked.

"all right." replied pumpkinhead.

Dorothy immediately ran over to scarecrow and hugged him.

"well, howdy stranger." Scarecrow said unable to keep a straight face.

"howdy? Have you been talking to my aunt?" dorothy asked.

"no…I've been talking to Madeline." He said.

"I think I'll leave most of the seeds in the pumpkin this time." Ozma said walking over.

"does that affect anything?" Betsy asked.

"yes, the seeds seem to serve as brains." Ozma said sitting down on the ground and starting her work.

"hmm." Alex said.

Dorothy immediately turned and looked at alex.

"you thinking 'bout something?" dorothy asked.

"well, it's an interesting concept, I mean, seeds for brains, he literally sprouts ideas." Alex said.

"that's the point." Ellie said.

"anyways, you mentioned pie?" trot asked.

"yes, pumpkin pie, I make it myself." He said.

"hmmm, a pumpkin pie actually doesn't seem that bad." Dorothy said

"ditto." Madeline said.

"what's that mean?" Asked pumpkinhead

"your head must really be going soft my friend." Scarecrow said.

"it is, yes." He replied.

"I told you when Ozma said it that it means that someone thinks, believes, or wants the same thing." scarecrow said.

"ah, yes, well when one's head begins to spoil…" he said trailing off.

"well apart from my brains all I ever need is a change of straw every now and again and I'm good as new." Scarecrow said

"boys, don't argue." Dorothy said.

"sorry." They both said.

"and, done." Ozma said holding up the pumpkin to them.

The jack-o-lantern that Ozma carved had rather large eyes, a typical triangle nose, and an even jollier smile than the head he was presently wearing

"nice work Ozma." Ellie said.

"yea, it's better than anything I could do." Dorothy said.

"has your aunt ever let you carve a pumpkin?" alex asked.

"well, no, but that's beside the point." Dorothy said.

"so…when can we have some pie? If you don't mind me asking." Madeline asked.