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That afternoon, dorothy found herself sitting at the dining room table working on further review with Aislynn. Ozma had returned with them and had immediately added to Alex's defense. Dorothy smiled and explained that she wasn't that upset. Alex, however, had gone home to smooth things over with his mother as she was far from thrilled about what he had done. Mr. teak, as Ozma had explained, hadn't been too upset with Alex's methods, he had been listening to what had happened, he hadn't approved but he hadn't been furious about it.

As far as all of them were aware, alex had stayed home for supper, and to keep Annabella company for a bit. Dinner at the gale farmhouse had been a roast that everyone had enjoyed. And as the evening started and wore on, the two found themselves seated on the floor in front of the couch. They had taken a note from Eliza's and Alex's pastimes, but substituted grapes for popcorn.

The goal was the same, catch as many piece in one's mouth as possible. The differences being the use of popcorn and that they were tossing to each other. They had established they were both bad shots. Thought they did have an even number between them.

"Well." Ozma said as she caught another piece and munched on it, "we're both bad at this" she said

"But it's delicious failure?" dorothy offered as completion of the sentence.

"I suppose that's one way to describe it." Em said coming into the living room and looking around "I'd call it a mess- "she said getting cut off by the phone ringing.

Dorothy and Ozma look around. Toto and pockets had been watching and between them did have a pile of discarded popcorn. But they hadn't been eating it.

"Gale resid-…Madison? What's wrong?" Em ask her voice going from cheerful to worried.

Dorothy and Ozma both turned to look at Em, Dorothy's heart skipped a beat for a moment. The two of them were only aware of one Madison and that was Mrs. teak.

"Right, Deep breaths, take a moment to calm down." She said, waiting a moment, "now, tell me exactly what happened… I see, how long ago? 2 hours!? Look don't panic I'm sure he's fine, look, deep breaths, henry and I will finish putting the triplets to bed and if he hasn't turned up, or at the very least called here, we'll go out looking for him, alright? Alright." She said quickly hanging up the phone and going into the kitchen.

"I may not know the area very well, but it isn't a 2 hour walk between here and the teak residence, is it?" Ozma asked curiously.

"Not even remotely." Dorothy said worriedly, "I know he wouldn't use it for transportation purposes, but he does have the scepter with him as well which would help, but even in the pouring rain it wouldn't take two hours to get here."

"He can hold his own as well." Ozma said nodding, "which is what rather worries me." She said producing her wand.

"According to his mother, there was a loud argument, lots of shouting, he grabbed the scepter, his boots, and coat and stormed out in a huff." Em said emerging from the kitchen with some things.

"But it shouldn't have taken two hours." Dorothy said worriedly

"I'm sure he's fine, but his behavior is inexcusable, fight or no, his parents are worried sick." She said leaving for her room.

At that moment, the phone started ringing again. Dorothy got up and walked over to it, picking up the phone.

"Gale Residence" she said into it.

"Ah, Dorothy, not quite the person I was hoping for but good enough, is your aunt available?" came the unmistakable voice of Jon Foreman,

"She's just putting the triplets to bed, and then she'll be going out if…" but she was cut off.

"Yes, I'm fully aware what transpired." He said stopping her midsentence.

"who's on the phone?" Em asked emerging from her room.

"Jon, seems he's already been made aware of what transpired." Dorothy said handing the phone off to her.

"Yes, Jon? you aren't? where? Hawthorn's? what's business, did he?" this was as far as Em got before snickering, "Oh, I see, well I suppose Hawthorn's is the best place for it."

"Hawthorn's?" Ozma asked curiously, looking to dorothy for assistance.

"it's a sort of gift service place, they do flowers, cakes, gift baskets, little trinkets, it's where we usually get the flowers that I…use to place at my parents' graves when I feel up to it." she said trailing off

It had occurred to her that it had been quite a long while since she had last been to her parent's grave. She was certain uncle henry occasionally went up that way with flowers occasionally, but it had been quite a long while since she had decided to go. However, she didn't get long to dwell on this before toto jumped into her lap to distract her. At that moment she heard her aunt put the phone on the receiver.

"So, how come Alex has gone to Hawthorn's?" Dorothy asked after a moment.

"you'll see, I have to go meet him and Jon at Hawthorn's" Em said going to get her jacket.

Dorothy shared a glance with Ozma, and they watched as Em grabbed her coat and keys, pulled on a pair of boots and went out to the truck.

"You only go to Hawthorn's for things like flowers, or gifts…" dorothy trailed off, she didn't know alex to go overboard like this, but…and Toto nudged up into her stomach distracting her again

She sighed and got to her feet scooping toto up in the process. Walking over to the couch and plopping herself onto it, she was shortly joined by Ozma.

"The problem is, I'm not sure whether is alex, or the beast in control." Dorothy said scratching him behind the ear, pockets soon joining on her lap.

"Could be both, but I assume we'll find out" Ozma said using her silver fairy wand to move the bowl of popcorn to the coffee table.

A little while later, on the far opposite end of town.

"I do have to thank you for your discretion." Alex said checking through the boxes of various things he had purchased, the scepter floating idly next to him.

"As I said, it's no trouble, but don't you think… "Jon trailed off and looked at the box with the vase of flowers he himself had bought "good grief I wish I could say this was déjà vu but I was giving your father this same speech after an argument with HIS parents at your age." He said

"History, tends to repeat itself with the Teaks." Alex said bitterly.

"Indeed." He said, "though admittedly when your father was a kid, he spent a lot more on your mother." He added.

"Dad?" Alex asked curiously, "he doesn't seem the type."

"Oh, you wouldn't know it, but he does dote on your mother, you think all of her jewelry was handed down or inherited?"

Alex looked at Jon for a moment then let out a short whistling sigh.

"That…" alex trailed off "you know I shouldn't be surprised by that" he said thinking about that

"Your family is one of the wealthiest in this town, and that surprises you?" Jon asked, chuckling.

"Well, anything pertaining to that doesn't" Alex admitted, "I'm more surprised, based off everyone's stories about him, that my late grandfather never cut dad off."

"Despite everything, your grandfather still cared about your father, he didn't approve of a lot of his actions that is true, but he never stopped him." Jon said looking out into the rain, "Not just because your grandmother kept him grounded, but because he really did care, not that any of them ever took notice"

"Do you think they did? No one ever speaks praise of him." Alex said turning to Jon.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, your grandfather was, as everyone puts it, a gargoyle, but he wasn't heartless." Jon said

"True as that may be, he still drove his own son away" Alex reminded him.

"True, I think towards the end, your father had stayed at your mother's and the gale's more often than the old manor."

"a manor that still belongs to the family" Madeline said as she appeared, causing them to jump "by your own admission if Dorothy's memory serves well."

"Yeesh Mads, DON'T DO THAT!" alex shouted as he checked his purchases for any damages

Madeline giggled.

"Would you prefer a warning? A floating sign? A card maybe?" she teased

"Okay, you have a point." Alex said annoyed

But he didn't get farther as Em pulled up just then. Getting out of her truck she immediately ran through the rain and the first thing she did was scold him.

"Alexander Nathaniel Teak!" She said so sternly it caused him to take a step back

Jon at this point got between the two of them and placed a hand on Em's shoulder.

"Emily, calm down, deep breaths, his mother has already been made aware of his location, she knows he's been with me, and he's already had a rough day, first Eliza, then losing control at home." He said "none of us are going to try to justify it" he added.

"I shouldn't think so, I've never heard Madison be so distressed." Em said sighing, "look I'm sorry for snapping like that, and I won't force you to go home tonight alex, we never forced your father, and I don't think dorothy would force you." She said taking the box from him and bringing it over to the truck, returning a moment later.

"Couple of small apology cakes, some flowers, another stuffed toy for Annabella, and a small glass swan to go on the tchotchke shelf." Alex said, "I grabbed a few card as well, but I didn't feel like Annabella would understand the humor of them, and I didn't want to go as far as the market."

"I forgot your mother had a glass animal collection." Jon said looking at him. Then turning to em, "I seem to recall you all used to provide a hand in completing the zoo."

"Could never find a sawn though, crane, crow, eagle, stork, but never swans." Em said looking at alex.

"In short, he's overcompensating." Madeline said sighing, "and dorothy is rather anxious, you should have called sooner, maybe say, an hour and 50 minutes ago." Madeline added checking her own watch.

"I know, I know" Alex said only to be stopped by em.

"I think it best we put a pin in this for now and get you back to the farmhouse, you can reconcile with your mother in the morning." Em said, "as it stands if we keep standing here, we're going to eventually get soaked.

The scepter pinged in agreement, alex nodded and took it in hand. Thanking Jon for helping him out, he and em went to the truck. Madeline smiled and vanished, alex assumed to the farmhouse, as that was usually what she did, check in on him then status report to dorothy. When they eventually got to the farmhouse the rain had lightened up a bit. As they got in, they were surprised to find the wizard and Elphaba sat at the dining room table with Aislynn, looking over what appeared to be a small blueprint.

"We apologize for just dropping in, Emily, but Oscar and Scarecrow really wanted Ace's input on designing a new rainbow mover…redesigning?"

Alex came in with the box just as the information was being relayed. he set it on the table and went through it pulling out two small cakes.

"Cakes?" Ozma asked curiously.

"Apology cakes." Dorothy said rolling her eyes and giggling.

"So, he messes up, and then buys a cake to apologize for it?" Ozma asked curiously

"Most people say it's a waste of money." The wizard said looking at him.

The scepter let out a ping in agreement.

"Especially when it comes to cakes from places like hawthorn's" Dorothy said, "with icing so sugary that one bite causes your mouth to tingle"

"Just hearing that makes my teeth hurt" Aislynn said cringing, "even Brianna manages to get icing right."

"Again, she does use magic though with her cooking, as has been established." Elphaba said looking through the box.

"By the way, alex, why did you storm straight to hawthorns anyways?" Aislynn asked curiously, "I know you got in an argument with your mother, which is unusual in of itself, but what convinced you to head there?"

"Originally I was going to head straight here" Alex admitted rather sheepishly, "the beast was in control yet again"

"Thought you were going to keep him from doing something irrational?" dorothy asked looking at the scepter, which pinged rather sheepishly.

"I mean, trying to find the best way to apologize for something isn't exactly irrational, is it?" the wizard asked "waste of money on occasion sure…" but he was cut off by his own granddaughter.

"Grandfather, I personally wouldn't try to rationalize it, its much less taxing on one's sanity." She said

"Anyways, I would put the cakes in the fridge if you two don't plan on eating them tonight." Em said looking back at them

And with that she went back to her bedroom.

"Okay, next question, and it's an unnecessary one." Aislynn said looking at them, "do either of you really need an excuse to eat cake?"

"Counter question" Dorothy asked with a giggle, "would you?"

"I wouldn't suggest eating the whole thing tonight." Alex said, "especially with testing starting in the morning." He added.

"Fair point." Dorothy said nodding and sitting herself at the table, "I'll have a small piece."

"I think ill have this tomorrow, if this is really as sugary as you say, I'd like to actually sleep BEFORE tomorrow, not all of us can survive on an hour of sleep you know."

"I take offense to that." Alex said chuckling, "okay not really but you get the point."

Everyone either giggled or rolled their eyes at this. Dorothy quickly got up, went to the kitchen and grabbed herself a small knife and a fork and returned, cutting herself a small slice. and sent alex to the fridge with the rest. Taking a small bit of it on her fork she offered it to Ozma.

"Taste?" she offered.

Ozma thought about this for a moment then accepted the offer.

"And?" dorothy asked working very slowly on her slice.

"So sugary its tingly, again I think I'll save mine for tomorrow." Ozma said transporting the cake using magic, "I do value sleep, like I said."

"Okay, so that should work, now all we have to do is build it." Aislynn said after making some adjustments to the blueprints.

Oscar picked up the blueprint and looked it over.

"Clever, very clever." The wizard said smiling, "Ace, we'll make a wizard of you yet." He said kissing his granddaughter's forehead.

"Thank you, grandfather." She said hugging him.

"I do think though we should be getting back to the emerald city and show this to scarecrow." Elphaba said picking up the blueprint and looking it over herself. "Do you guys have any qualms with using magic for assistance?"

"Not really." They both said.

"Alex most likely does." Dorothy said sticking her tongue out playfully.

Alex sighed and went over to the couch, laying down on it.

"Well, i should at least be grateful that it's not a vote of no confidence." Alex sighed

Dorothy finished the small slice of cake on her plate and walked over to him.

"Alex, name one person that would give you a vote of no confidence." She said looking him straight in the eyes.

"Cassandra." Alex said as straight as possible.

"I feel like that's more a vote of no faith." Aislynn said, "she trusts in you, but has absolutely no faith in your abilities, even less since the beast came into play and after today, I can't say I blame her."

"Thanks ace, that really helped." Alex said rolling his eyes.

"I just say it as it is." Aislynn said sighing, "no offense alex, but you're not exactly as sorted out as you believe you are."

"Aislynn Susan Diggs, that is enough." The wizard said firmly, "he's already had a rough day."

"I mean, she has a point, Oscar." Alex said looking at him, "despite the fact that we can work together, the beast and I will never fully see eye to eye."

"Everyone is always their own worst critic." Elphaba said sighing,

"Exactly" Alex nodded

"Okay, this is really starting to get depressing, can we change the subject?" Dorothy asked curiously.

"Oh, I have one we can use." Ozma suggested, "we could talk about how you and ace have opposing views on tomorrows standardized testing."

"That's gonna be a very short conversation." Alex said, looking up as though consulting a higher power which with the beast was technically true, "we're down for it."