"My name is Alice," said the woman, seating herself on a stool. The man and the other woman followed suit. Alice gestured to them. "These are my friends, Cyrus and Anastasia. We're from a place called Wonderland."

Granny raised an eyebrow at the familiar name.

"Have you heard of it?" asked the man called Cyrus.

Granny shook her head as Ruby placed plates of hamburgers in front of the new guests. "Not directly; I think there was one person who came from Wonderland-"

"Was his name Will Scarlet?" Anastasia asked quickly. She grabbed Granny's arm with desperate ferocity. "Have you seen Will?"

"He might also go by the Knave of Hearts," offered Alice. "He was with us before we came, but we haven't seen him since we arrived."

The door chime sounded. Ruby gave Belle and Emma a small wave as they exited.

Granny shook her head. "No, I don't know of any Knave or Will Scarlet-the man I'm talking about goes by the name Jefferson."

"Jefferson?" Anastasia brightened at the name. She gripped Alice's arm. "If anybody can get us back to Wonderland, he can! It's the Mad Hatter, Alice!"

"Hatter!" Alice cried. "So this is where he's been all these years!"

"Where can we find this Jefferson?" asked Cyrus.

Granny shrugged. "He's usually down at the Rabbit Hole these days. Poor man hasn't been the same since the Queen poisoned Henry."

"The Queen?" Anastasia gasped.

"Who's Henry?" Alice asked.

"Where is this Rabbit Hole you speak of?" Cyrus inquired.

Granny pointed toward the corner. "Just down the road a ways. You can't miss it."

Alice, Anastasia, and Cyrus stood. "Thank you for your help, Granny and-" Alice nodded toward the young woman next to her, who would very likely fit right in at the Red Queen's palace.

"Oh, Red Riding Hood," the woman supplied. "But most call me Ruby."

Alice blinked, "Like in the stories?"

Granny nodded. "That's why it's called Storybrooke, you know. We're all from the Enchanted Forest, and people of this world think our stories are the made-up ones."

"Curiouser and curiouser!" cried Alice, but Anastasia was already bustling her out the door.

"Yes, fascinating; now let's go save Will!"

Belle wandered into the library. Ashley (aka Cinderella) stood at the shelves in the front, browsing through some titles for one that would interest her.

"Looking for anything in particular?" Belle asked.

Ashley shook her head, "Well, I just finished a thriller that was so intense, I think I'd need something light and fun to take my mind off the gruesomeness!"

Belle smiled, "I know just the thing!" She pulled out some fantasy-adventure titles that had been her favorites. "There's more on this shelf here."

"Oooh, thanks!" Ashley bent down and scanned the titles.

Belle continued to the back corner of the library, where the familiar thump of a cane told her that Rumplestiltskin was in the back, shelving books.

He looked up when she came around the corner.

"I, er, thought Cin-I mean, Ashley would like some privacy while she was visiting," he defended.

Belle smiled and shook her head as she grabbed a couple books to help him.

"Storybrooke has changed since you brought magic back, Rumple," she told him. "Why, just today there were three new people who arrived."

"Outsiders?" Rumple dropped the books he was holding and stared at Belle in astonishment.

Belle bent down and picked them up for him. "No, not outsiders from this world. I think they said they came from Wonderland."

"Wonderland, eh? You didn't happen to catch any names, did you?"

Belle straightened two books on the shelf so that the one she held in her other hand could slip between them. "Some: Alice, Cyrus, and Anastasia."

She heard a choking gasp from the shelves in front of them; no doubt Ashley found just the book she was looking for. Belle glanced around the shelf and had the satisfaction of seeing the blonde leave the library with a book in her arms.

"They were looking for someone called Knave or Will Scarlet," Belle continued.

"Hmm," said Rumple. "I seem to recall a Will Scarlet from the Enchanted Forest-but the other names are not familiar. So you say they just arrived and came straight to Granny's?"

"Yes," said Belle. "Knowing Granny, she'll probably offer them a room and welcome them to stay."

"Of course," Rumple said, moving to another shelf to put a few books away. "Granny's is the only place to eat and stay for newcomers in this town."

"The only place worth staying, anyway," Belle agreed.

The trio made their way down the sidewalk, gawking at the large machines like the first one they'd seen, all making loud mechanical noises as they rolled down the wide roads. Every so often, the street bore bright red or green lights strung across it, and the machines would stop when the light was red, so that people could safely walk in front of them.

They found the Rabbit Hole, just as Granny had told them. Alice stepped inside and looked around.

"Now I'm sure the Hatter spent time in the Caterpillar's lair," she mused. "This place is exactly the same as Underland!"

Strangely-dressed people stared at them as they moved through the dark shadows and colored lights. Loud music blared as people drank liquors from various-styled cups. Smoke from various cigars and other means of inhalation lent a haze over the whole venue.

"Blagh, it's so dark in here," Anastasia groused, "how are we ever gonna find the Hatter?"

Alice pointed to a deep corner. A wide-brimmed, felt top-hat stood out over the crowd. "There he is."

They moved over to the table. Jefferson himself sat nursing a beer, his face a picture of total depravity. When he looked up, he nearly lost his seat in alarm.

"Geez-The Queen?" he burst out, staring askance at Anastasia.

She shook her head, "Not anymore, Hatter. Not unless we can stop Jafar."

"Jafar? Wha-" He glanced at the other faces. "Alice? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hatter, we came to Storybrooke by mistake. The White Rabbit was trying to help us escape Jafar's curse, and the hole he dug led us here."

"Yes, hello, nice to see you, it would be great to catch up on old times," Anastasia jabbed Alice in the ribs. "Now tell him about Will!"

Alice sighed and bit her lip. "Hatter, we need your help," she gestured to the iconic accessory adorning his head. "The Knave of Hearts was with us-it's because of him that Cyrus and I are together," Alice clasped Cyrus' hand and smiled at him. "But we're worried he didn't make it out of Wonderland. Granny said you'd be able to help us-"

"Wonderland!" Jefferson, wild-eyed, cackled in her face. "Why the hell would I want to go back there? You think there is anything there for me? Everything I've ever loved is here in Storybrooke..." his voice faded. "And even then, she doesn't know I exist."

"Please, Hatter," Cyrus begged, "just guide us to Wonderland, and perhaps we can help you reconnect with your true love."

"No!" Jefferson snapped. He snatched the hat off his head and threw it on the table. "I am done with traveling between worlds. I'm done with leaving, I'm done with making deals, I'm done! Find your own way!"

A commotion at the front of the tavern forestalled further conversation. Alice and Cyrus looked up to see people screaming and pointing. Together, they made their way to the door. A familiar dark cloud was gathering just outside the town.

"Tell me I'm not seeing this," whispered Alice.

"No, surely it can't be!" Cyrus added.

A black figure holding a tall, glowing staff and riding on a tasseled carpet emerged from the cloud.

"Jafar," Anastasia breathed.

"How could he have followed us?" Alice cried, "and why?"

The evil sorcerer was coasting over the town, spreading lightning and darkness in his wake.

"Where is the genie?" he roared over the noise. "I want the genie! Bring me Cyrus!"

Alice turned to Cyrus. "He doesn't know you're free."

Cyrus' face was grave. "I've been thinking about that, Alice. I may be free, but the bottle needs a genie."

Alice's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Are you saying that Will- You think that's what happened to him?"

Cyrus turned to see how Anastasia was taking the news, but she was no longer with them.

Jefferson had just returned to drowning his sorrows further in the bottle, when suddenly it was snatched from his lips.

"Look, you!" Anastasia hissed in his face. "I don't care about a lot of things but I bloody care about Will, and I need to get to him before Jafar figures out he isn't here."

"Look, Your Majesty, I already told you-"

Anastasia snatched the hat. "You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to. Just tell me how to use it."

Jefferson eyed her skeptically. "You need magic."

"I have magic."

He sighed, glancing hungrily at the bottle in her hand. "All right. Just place the hat on the ground, and it'll open the portal to the room between the worlds. There will be lots of doors to get you places, but you have to make sure you get the right one or it will be harder to go back out."

"Which door will get me to the Enchanted Forest?" She could almost hear Jafar's voice nearing the tavern.

"I thought you wanted to get to Wonderland-"

Anastasia glanced furtively over her shoulder. "Plans change; tell me which one!"

"Okay, um... it should be a blue door, I think."

"Ye think?"

"Okay, fine, I know! Get to the room, take the blue door. Now can I have my beer back?" he looked at her with red-rimmed eyes.

Anastasia stared at him contemptuously, and let the bottle drop to the floor.

"I'm comin', Will," She whispered.