Disclaimer, you know.

After breakfast, Ozma indeed did as she said she would and announced the return of the Wizard of Oz. it led to quite a buzz and everyone had expected the palace was soon filled with reporters who wanted to know everything that had happened. When that had eventually died down, Ozma and scarecrow left to make sure all that got reported was the truth and facts were not crossed anywhere.

"if there's one thing worse than a dishonest story then it's one that has the details all jumbled." Ozma said to scarecrow as they left.

Everyone who was now in the chambers also very strongly felt that the tribunal may just intervene in the event that certain details were required to be omitted. Aislynn, in order to get away from the buzz of activity in the chambers had taken this time to slip away from everyone else with her grandfather, and to show him her bedroom in the palace. As they walked, he looked around so he could get a better idea of how to get there.

"The trio, Tin man, Lion and scarecrow, only speak praise of you whenever you were brought up in conversation." Aislynn said with a grin.

"did I come up in conversation often?" The wizard asked curiously.

"really only between scarecrow and myself unless Dorothy was recapping her first trip here to Oz." Aislynn said sighing,

"well that's really the only experience anyone here has had with me up till now." The Wizard said as they came to her room.

Aislynn smiled and opened the door to her room. As they walked in, a pile of books that had been stacked next to her bed chose that moment to over balance and tip over. Aislynn sighed and immediately went to clear up the mess. Her room was simple, a large bed, side tables with lamps. A walk in wardrobe that seemed to be a staple in all rooms, a large desk which was also piled with books, and at the far end a window with a sill large and broad enough to sit on comfortably. To prove this point Eve was curled up upon it. With the exception of the sill and the closet, the room was almost a duplicate of her one at the Gale farmhouse.

"There's a bag of soft caramels in the side table" Aislynn said pointing to it "just knock on it and it will open."

The wizard nodded and did as instructed, and wasn't surprise when the drawer on the side table did pop open. He found the bag of caramels and sat himself down in a chair as he took one from the bag and unwrapped it.

"So, I take it you spend as much time as you can reading still?" The Wizard asked curiously.

"Well, old habits die hard." Aislynn said setting the pile back the way it was.

"Wont it just topple over again the next time someone opens the door if you leave it like that?" The wizard asked curiously.

"yes, but its no hassle really." Aislynn replied with a shrug, "Most of my reading is usually done rather early in the morning or late in the evening anyways so I don't suppose it actually matters where I leave the pile."

"you called it a habit though? Your reading?" The wizard asked looking at his granddaughter curiously.

"No one really approves of me staying up to practically all hours reading." Aislynn said.

"I didn't even approve of it." The wizard said shaking his head, "Sleep is still imperative."

"yes, I do try to drill that into her." Dorothy said coming into the room, "though I can't exactly fault her for it, at least she's reading stuff that is constructive, occasionally fairy tales but usually a reference book or something." She said walking over to them,

"caramel?" Aislynn offered as if to change the subject, "Dorothy, I do sleep, for like 3 maybe four hours at a time." She said quickly changing the subject back.

Dorothy took a caramel, and was in the process of unwrapping it whilst she continued talking.

"Ace I didn't come here to tell you off." Dorothy said popping the caramel in her mouth

"you came here to see where Ace and I went, right?" The wizard asked curiously.

"yes, you guys could have said something, you didn't have to just try and slip out." Dorothy sighed.

"Oh, so they did come here." Alex said standing in the doorway.

"Well it was either here or the library, so you were already low on choices." Aislynn said with a bit of a giggle before tossing a caramel to Alex, "I wanted to show my grandfather where my be0droom was, so that way, at least he knows for future reference."

"So, why is it basically an almost perfect replica of your room at the farmhouse?" Alex asked unwrapping the caramel he had been tossed.

"I prefer simplicity." Aislynn said, "you guys know that well enough."

Dorothy and Alex shared a glance and nodded.

"So, is there anything I need to know about him that hasn't already been made apparent at the trial?" The Wizard asked pointing to Alex.

"Well, the easiest way to know which one you're talking to, him or his other personality, the beast, just look at the eyes." Aislynn said with a shrug.

"Other than you may occasionally find me in the shape of a very large wolf, there isn't really much that you won't find out over time." Alex added, leaning into the door frame.

"I suppose I should add that he did save my life once." Aislynn said,

"School caught fire once, and Ace wound up trapped inside." Dorothy said, "I was stuck at home in a wheelchair." She added.

"Alex ran back in and got me out before things got too bad, it was still terrifying though" she said looking at him.

Alex was now trying his best not to meet anyone's gaze. That incident wasn't talked about incredibly often, thought it would be more accurate to say that it wasn't talked about at all in any great length at least not around him.

"Well, I am incredibly grateful to you for doing it, regardless of how long ago it was." The wizard said getting up from the chair and walking over to him.

"it was nothing." He said, going a bit red in the face.

"its not exactly something that's brought up often, he's a bit like me in that respect." Dorothy said, "doesn't really like the limelight." She said walking over and kissing his cheek.

"you're forgetting, you're talking to a man who came to Oz, set himself up as the ruler then literally never left his rooms." The wizard said looking at them, "until a girl from Kansas dropped out of the sky one day and changed everything, and by the looks of things changed it all for the better."

"Well, things have been a little rocky like I said but otherwise yes." Dorothy said,

"Life isn't without its bumps, what matters is that you've all managed to get through it." The wizard replied.

"Well I wouldn't say it was just bumps there were several occasions where we all could have been killed." Alex said sighing, "Several instances with the jester, then Evanora."

"But, again, you got through it, all of you did, alive and intact." The wizard replied with a flourishing gesture to all of them

"Well, mostly, I have taken my fair share of scrapes and gashes." Dorothy said sighing.

"at least you haven't been struck by lightning." Alex replied causing Dorothy to stick her tongue out at him teasingly.

"And you have?" The wizard asked curiously.

"yes, and quite obviously I walked away from it." Alex said pulling the blackened watch from his pocket.

"that was the extent of the damage?" he asked looking at the watch

"Well I still got a really bad burn but otherwise yes." Alex said pocketing it again, "Anyways Dorothy, I think we've intruded on Ace and her grandfather long enough, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes, well, you know where to find us." Dorothy said starting for the door again, "is the scepter still in the chambers?" she asked curiously.

"if it decided to stay then yes, though im sure we'll find it on the halfway point back." Alex said turning to check.

Dorothy looked at ace, the two of them shared a smile and Dorothy took Alex's hand and led him away.

"as odd as its been though, Grandfather, I don't think I'd want it any other way." Aislynn said smiling and embracing her grandfather tightly.