Wonderland
They waited in the shadows as Jefferson was dragged in. "What has Jefferson got into now?" Cat said, shaking his head. The group watched silently as the man was dragged forward the axe slowly desending on his neck... March shut her eyes and Alistair rolled his. Cat just simply watched, he'd seen this a million times before. The head came clean off, blah, blah, blah. Same as always.
Later, Cat went to visit Jefferson in his basement prison. He simply materialized, scaring Jefferson a bit. Cat slipped over, still in his feline form. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern filling every bit of sound in his voice. Jefferson turned his head slowly to face him. "Do I look like I'm okay? I'll never see my daughter again!" Then he laughed, a crazy, mad laugh that echoed around the room. "I couldn't ask you to understand, you're just a cat, you haven't loved someone before." The room got ten degrees colder just by the look Cat gave him. "I never loved, have I?" Cat said dangerously quiet, slowly turning into his human form as he said it. "Never had anyone love me. What do you expect, you ignorant fool, that Wonderland somehow gave birth to me? That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Jefferson sighed. "I didn't mean it like that." Cat sighed to, but his was much sadder. "Do you really want to know my story?" he asked. Jefferson nodded. Cat started, " It was a long time ago, most likely before you came into exsistence that it happened. My father and I lived in the land of the Duke, during the Ogre Wars." Jefferson interreupted. "The Ogre Wars were hundreds of years ago!" he protested. Cat shot him an annoyed look. "I'm getting to that, if you'd listen." he said, the he continued, "The Duke was cruel and evil, some say he even killed his own father to gain power." Jefferson shivered. "I was about to turn thirteen, that was the age that you were required to fight. My papa didn't want me to go, he was scared. He fought in the wars too, you know. He deserted and my mother, Siria, left him. Anyways, the night before my thriteeth birthday my father decided that to smuggle me somewhere safe, but the Duke knew about it and found us. Luckily a stranger took us in. His name was Zoso I believe. He tricked my father into killing the Dark One, which was an all powerful imp. As it turns out, Zoso was actually the Dark One and when my father killed him, he got his powers." Jefferson gulped. "I-I'm so sorry I didn't know." he said. "Oh that's not all." Cat laughed, it was crazier that Jefferson's, the laugh of a broken man. "He was different after the transformation, his temper was quicker and he hurt people a lot. Once I was playing out in the street with my friends and I kicked the ball into the road. I was careless, and ran into the road without looking. A cart was coming fast and I didn't see it. Luckily for me, the driver had just enough time to stop before he ran into me, but one of his horses reared up and cut my leg. My papa came out and saw what happened. I tried to reason with him but he wouldn't listen." Cat took a breath, shuddering. "He turned the man into a snail and squished him." Another shiver passed through Cat. "To this day I hate snails. I decided something needed to be done. I made a deal with him saying that if I could find a way to free him off his curse then he would have to do it. Indeed I did find a way. The Blue Fairy gave me a magic bean that would take my father and I to a world without magic. My father chickened out at the last possible second and let me fall. I came here. I could be dead for all he cares." Jefferson stood there for a second, shell-shocked. "I can just imagine that smug look on his face after he got rid of me," Cat continued, "He was finally freed of his over eager, stupidly trusting son Baelfire. I could be dead for all he cares." Jefferson looked mildly surprised. "Your real name is Balefire?" he asked. Cat nodded. "You really are old then." Jefferson said. Cat shrugged. "Time moves slower in wonderland, plus it helps I have nine lives." he said, with a tone that leeked with surpressed fury. Jefferson looked thoughfully at Cat. "What was your father's name?" he asked. "Rumpelstiltskin." Cat replied miserbley. Jefferson gasped at him. "The Rumpelstiltskin?" he said in surprise. Cat nodded grimly. At that moment, March popped into appearence. "That... That evil man!" she exclaimed, tears streaming down her face "He'll pay!" The she popped out of sight. "Wait, March, no!" Cat cried and reached out to grab her, just as Jefferson reached out to hold Cat back, his fingers brushed his coat and they were both sucked through the realms, to the Enchanted Forest. Once there, a great storm cloud loomed over them, as Jefferson looked around. "Jefferson, March we have to go back! Something bad's going to happen!" Cat shouted over the rising wind. Jefferson looked to face Cat, a look of pure joy on his face. "I'm free! I have to find Grace!" Jefferson shouted back. With that he ran off. March turned to him. I can get back by myself, Cat! I swear I going to beat the hell out of your father." she shouted and ran away to. Cat sighed exsassperatly and turned back to Wonderland, just a few seconds before Alistair appeared looking for his sister and exactly a minute before a very powerful curse whisked everyone away to a land without magic.
Storybrook, Maine
A dark figure walked alone on an empty road heading towards the woods. He stopped abrubtly. "What am I doing?" he asked himself. Without the slightest change in expression he changed into a great cat, striped purple and black, and continued down the road, walking on a cloud of smoke. At last he arrived at his destination, a beautiful old mansion, complete with sprawling lawns and a fountain. Cat went up to the doors, swiftly changing back to a human and rang the doorbell. Nothing happened. He rang it again and again and again. Finally he heard footsteps clunking down the stairs. A very tired looking man opened the door. "What?" he grumbled. Cat grinned. "Great to see you Jefferson! Mind if I come in?" he asked, hurrying inside without an answer. Jefferson blinked. "Who are you?" he asked groggily. "Really, you're starting to sound like a caterpillar," Cat said, a little amused. Jefferson's eyes widened in disbelief. "Cat?" he exclaimed. Cat grinned, wider than humanly possible. "The one and only."
"Come on, Jefferson, we're going to Idaho." Cat said, still grinning. They were sitting in Jefferson's living room, drinking cups of scalding tea instead of coffee. They both preffered it like that. It was about 8 a.m. "Why?" Jefferson asked. "Trust me," was Cat's answer, then without warning he grabbed Jefferson's shirtand pulled him through time and space, just as he did with realms. After what only seemed like seemed like a few seconds, they were standing in front of a huge brick building. The bronze plaque above the door read: Ms. Pence's Orphanage of Idaho. "Wha-" started Jefferson glancing from Cat to the building and back again. "We have an old friend we need to pick up." Cat said, responding to Jefferson's odd look. They marched in to the building, Jefferson still, to be quite honest, very lost. Cat walked up to the desk. "Can I see March O'Hare please?" he asked the secretary. She looked up and spat in a slow drawl, "Do you have an appoitment?" Cat smirk and snapped his fingers. The lady went into a daze. "Down the hall, first door on the left," she said dreamily. "Thanks," Cat chirped and he and Jefferson started down the hall. "Why is March here?" Jefferson asked. "Because," Cat said, "A lot of people were taken by the curse, and people who weren't intended to be shipped to Storybrook, aka Wonderlanders, were either sent to different places or didn't have memory loss, or both." They neared the door and Jefferson pushed it open. Inside was a girl, about fourteen years old sitting on the bottom bunk of her bunk bed, looking out the window. "March," Jefferson whispered. March flung around, her hair whirling. "Jefferson! Cat!" she cried. She ran up and hugged them both, almost knocking them over. "Whoa March, we still have to get your brother." Cat laughed. March looked up at them. "Plus I have unfinished buisness with your father...Baelfire." she said, a familiar scowl returning to her lips. Cat chuckled. "You can do that soon, don't worry." And then, off they sped, through the fabrication of earth once again. Jefferson staggered as they landed in front of yet another brick building. "Where are we now?" Jefferson asked. "Washington State, at The Washington State Home for Unwanted Boys." Cat answered grimly. The walked in. Cat snapped his fingers, they marched down the hall to a wooden door with a sign that said: Keep Out. They walked in. A boy with stark white hair was sitting at a desk scribbling something on a piece of paper. March ran up to him as he turned around. He looked from March to Cat to Jefferson and back again. "Well finally," he said a slow grin spreading on his face. "You're late." March hugged him. They all ran outside and were whisked away to Storybrook.
To be continued...