Disclaimer, the usual.

Although Glinda wasn't too thrilled with girls returning to the city with pink skin, she still found it slightly adorable though and was glad it was only temporary. Later that afternoon, after a rather large lunch, Dorothy found herself in the chambers, sitting on her throne, alex sitting on the floor at her feet with both toto and pockets in his lap. Ozma was sitting on her own throne, dozing. Aislynn had taken Betsy and trot to her room while Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion started work on one of Scarecrow's new ideas. Madeline was busy working on a new hat she had come up with during lunch. Glinda had taken ellie back to her castle to get a few things, and everyone else, at least as far as any of them were aware, were at Brianna's ice cream parlor.

"so, what do you two want to do?" Alex asked.

"right now?" dorothy asked.

"preferably." Alex said.

"right now, I'd rather just sit here and let my food digest." Dorothy said sighing.

"fair enough." Alex said sighing

However, a moment later, Madeline came in carrying a plain light pink hat that matched the pink that their skin had turned.

"you know, I actually don't have that many pink hats." Madeline said walking over to them.

"Maddie, why did you make a pink hat?" dorothy asked.

"well, while we were eating lunch, I kept staring at my hands which as you know, are bright pink, and it dawned on me, I've used that lake and several occasions while I lived down there, and I never made a hat this specific shade of pink." Madeline said.

"I think it's pretty." Ozma said sleepily.

"that's good, since I made it for you." Madeline said handing it to her.

"you should probably make two more, one for Glinda, and one for ellie." Alex said.

"you know, I kinda figured you'd say that." Madeline said

"you've already done that, haven't you?" dorothy asked.

"yep, already put them in their rooms, with a card." Madeline said.

"Alex, your, oh, Madeline, thanks for the hat." Ellie said walking into the chambers

"you need me for something?" alex asked.

"yes, my father contacted me, your father would like you home to help with a project, and your cousin is in town." Ellie said

Alex sighed and looked at the animals sitting on his legs. Picking them up he sighed and stood up and set them down. He then turned his attention to dorothy.

"you wanna come? It's been a while since Eliza has seen you." Alex asked

"alex, she's pink." Madeline said.

"Maddie don't speak for me." Dorothy said getting up and stretching.

"oh dorothy, I have some makeup you can use if you'd like?" Madeline offered.

"no thanks Maddie, I'm not embarrassed by it, Ellie, let Ace know where alex and I have gone, Ozma, try not to nod off, I really doubt it would be comfortable to fall asleep there." dorothy said.

"no promises." Ozma said smiling before closing her eyes.

Dorothy shook her head before taking Alex's hand.

"Maddie, stay out of trouble until I get back." Dorothy said.

"like Ozma said, no promises." Madeline replied smiling.

"toto, pockets, you two wanna come or would you rather go to ace's room?" Dorothy asked.

The two answered by running out of the chambers as quickly as they could. Dorothy giggled and shook her head, she knew toto and pockets weren't fond of Alex's sister, she always had so much energy and liked to play with them. However, she didn't let her thoughts dwell. Grabbing the scepter, she smiled and looked at alex.

"take us back to Kansas." Dorothy said clicking her heels.

In that instant, they both felt themselves lurch forward. Dorothy closed her eyes to try and avoid the usual feeling of nausea that came with traveling using this method. However, a moment later she felt her feet touch the ground. Leaning against the scepter for support she took a minute to catch her breath. Opening her eyes, she found alex on the floor, panting.

"Dorothy?" Came the voice of her aunt.

"yes, auntie Em?" dorothy replied.

"why are you pink?" Em asked curiously.

"went swimming in a lake full of minerals, I'll be back to normal again by tomorrow afternoon." Dorothy said.

"why isn't alex pink then?" Henry asked.

"he didn't come with us, it was Madeline, myself, and Ozma." Dorothy said.

"where are the triplets?" alex asked.

"napping." Em said.

Dorothy smiled and walked over to her aunt and uncle and hugged them both.

"your also really warm." Henry pointed out

"yep, blame that on the lake as well." Dorothy said.

"Mrs. Gale can I trouble you to drive dorothy and I to the shop?" Alex asked.

"it's no problem, oh, your cousin is in town by the way." Em said.

"yes, that's why dorothy is here, you know, I don't see why you guys don't just come to emerald city as well." Alex replied.

Em smiled and kissed her husband, within a few minutes they were in em's truck and on their way to the other end of town.

"dorothy, I know I tell you this every summer, but you really should think about going back to the old house." Em said.

Dorothy sighed, she didn't even say a word. When they got to the shop Eliza was sitting on the bench out in front of it with Annabella. Before he got out of the truck though, he whispered something to Dorothy's aunt. She chuckled and nodded.

"dorothy, you're pink." Eliza said.

"yes, it's only temporary though." Dorothy said.

"awe." Was Annabella's response.

"Eliza, how have you been?" Alex asked.

"I've been well, you?" Eliza asked.

"the same." Alex replied.

Eliza smiled and hugged both of them.

"I thought I heard voice, oh, dorothy, you're, pink." Mr. teak said coming out of the shop.

"hey, I've heard that somewhere before." Eliza said giggling.

"alex, what were you telling my aunt before she left?" Dorothy asked.

"that's for me to know, and for you to eventually find out." Alex said

"well, alex, I'm glad you decided to come help me with this project, we need to make a full dining set and they have specifications." Mr. teak said.

"and you need my eye for detail, don't you?" alex asked turning to face his father.

"yep." He replied.

Alex chuckled and went inside the shop. Mr. teak sighed and followed him.

"so, Eliza, how are things at home?" dorothy asked.

"boring, there aren't any kids my age in the neighborhood so I spend most of my time lying in the grass in the backyard or looking for rabbits that occasionally run around the wall." Eliza said.

"oh." Dorothy said sighing.

"dorothy, I know she's probably busy but can ace sleep over at least once this summer?" Eliza asked.

"sure, I'd just need to ask her when she's free, I'm not sure if she and scarecrow have any plans." Dorothy said.

"oh, right, well try to remember to get back to me on that, okay?" Eliza asked.

"Maddie or ellie are already on it most likely." Dorothy said.

"oh, hello dorothy, I didn't know you and alex were home." Came Mrs. Teak's voice as she walked over carrying bags of groceries

"yep, your husband needs his eye for fine details." Dorothy said.

"ah, yes, the dining room set." Mrs. Teak said.

"Auntie, aren't you going to ask dorothy why's she's pink?" Eliza asked.

"Eliza, at this point I've given up asking anything that involves Oz." she replied.

"oh, alright." Eliza said.

"anyways, I must get these groceries home, dorothy, will you be joining us for dinner tonight?" Mrs. Teak asked.

"oh, I wouldn't want to impose on you guys while Eliza is already staying with you." Dorothy said.

"oh, it wouldn't be any trouble, you know that." Mrs. Teak said

"what are you making for dinner tonight anyways?" Annabella asked.

"roast chicken and mashed potatoes." Mrs. Teak said.

"oh, that's one of my favorites." Annabella said.

"I know it is sweetie, so, dorothy, the question is still on the table." Mrs. Teak said.

"I guess I'll join, if it's no trouble." Dorothy said.

"like I said, it's not trouble dear, besides, it's a large chicken, it'll be ready by seven if I leave now." Mrs. Teak said handing a bag of groceries to Eliza and then taking Annabella's hand.

"dorothy are you gonna wait behind for alex and daddy?" Annabella asked.

Dorothy said nothing she simply smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile in emerald city.

"so, dorothy and alex are staying in Kansas for dinner tonight, and probably the next few days." Glinda said as she walked into the kitchen.

"oh, what is she having for dinner?" Brianna asked as she finished putting away a large bowl

"roast chicken." Glinda said.

"oh, I have a recipe for that, one I want to try at some point, but I have to get back to the ice cream parlor, I'm closing at six today." Brianna said.

"why so early?" Glinda asked.

"super-secret meeting, ellie knows about it, but she has to help you, so it's relatively hush-hush, and that's all I'm allowed to tell you." Brianna said reading off a note she had in her pocket.

Glinda smiled and shook her head. she didn't look through Ellie's eyes that often anymore. She knew that if ellie was doing something that she didn't approve of, then they would both get in trouble with their parents. Glinda would get in trouble for not preventing it and ellie would be in trouble for doing it. it would also work in vise versa. However, her thoughts were interrupted by Madeline walking in.

"oh, hello Glinda." Madeline said conjuring a glass and going over to the sink.

"good afternoon, hatter, how long does that pink last?" Glinda asked curiously

"exactly 23 hours after leaving the water, at least from my experiences, for all I know Ozma could be different." Madeline said.

"why's that?" Glinda asked curiously.

"because she's part fairy." Madeline said before taking a drink of water.

"oh, right, yes, I suppose that could factor it, wouldn't it?" Glinda said trying to register that statement.

"don't strain yourself trying to think about it." She replied before leaving the kitchens.

"you know, I've been thinking about hiring myself an assistant at the ice cream parlor, I mean, one person serving the entire city may be good for my mother or father, but I'm still young and it's beginning to get stressful, juggling this, the parlor." Brianna said changing the subject.

"you see any potential assistants while you've been serving?" Glinda asked.

"well, there's the nephew of the glasses maker, I think you've met him, I think his name his Jude or something, sometimes comes to the parlor just to sit and think while working on a pair glasses." Brianna said.

"have you ever actually, you know, talked to him?" Glinda asked.

"on a few occasions, yes, he seems intelligent enough, and has helped me twice when the churn broke down." Brianna said

"do you like him?" Glinda asked

"he's a nice guy, but if you're asking if I'm interested in him romantically, the answer is no." Brianna said sternly.

"oh." Glinda said.

"But, he's got a good head on his shoulders, I'll ask the glasses maker and Jude before I open the shop again, which, I guess I should go do now." Brianna said leaving the kitchen.

Glinda smiled and shook her head again before walking out of the kitchen as well. Walking into the chambers, she found Ozma asleep on her throne. She chuckled and quietly stepped out of the chambers and starting for her room.

Later in Kansas.

Dorothy sat on the bench outside the shop for a good majority of the afternoon, getting odd glances from people for a while and eventually began to physically feel warm before finally deciding to go inside.

"Ah, nice of you to join us." Mr. Teak said not looking up from his work.

"I got tired of the glances and I think I started to actually burn out there on that bench." Dorothy said sighing.

"hey dorothy?" alex asked.

"yes?" dorothy replied

"can you come over here please?" he asked.

Dorothy nodded and walked over to him. Once she was next to him, he pointed to his father with an expression dorothy wasn't quite used to.

"what about him?" dorothy whispered

"dad, could you look up at us for a second?" alex asked

"why?" he asked in return.

"it's, something is bothering me, and I need dorothy to see why." Alex said.

At that point, Mr. Teak looked up at his son and dorothy.

"what?" he asked

"dorothy, look at his face and tell me if you see it as well." Alex said

Dorothy looked at Mr. Teak for several moments, at first, she didn't see a thing and was confused, that is, until she made eye contact. It was then that she noticed it, his right eye, was beginning to turn a milky white. His normally stern gaze turned to one of defeat.

"Mr. teak?" dorothy asked.

"you, you figured out why I needed alex here didn't you?" Mr. Teak asked.

"Dad, are, are you losing your eyesight?" Alex asked.