[A/N: This chapter wasn't supposed to be feelsy, but it ended up that way. Do expect Juliet's attitude problem to be fixed after this chapter. This chapter would have been up earlier, but I received a very pleasant shock this morning. Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy the chapter!]

As they were walking back to through Radiant Garden, Juliet noticed that instead of being ignored completely the villagers were starting to emerge, but they weren't talking to her. Instead they were more interested in Akio. "You're popular."

Akio glanced back at her as a child tugged at his pant leg to get his attention. "Well, I guess that's because me and Clementine helped with the heartless clean up after Maleficent died."

The little girl continued to pull on Akio's pant leg before thrusting one chubby hand at him. "This is for you." In her hand was a piece of bread with walnuts and raisons in it in the shape of a heart. She hurried off before he could say anything.

The bread was still warm and smelled pleasant. He tore off a chunk and offered it to Juliet. "You can have some if you're hungry."

She devoured the chunk in a matter of seconds licking her fingers to get all the crumbs.

"Hungry aren't you?" Akio tore off another chunk which she more or less snatched out of his hand. "Well don't worry there will be plenty of food where we're going. Clementine should be at Merlin's house. I'm surprised Merlin didn't go back to Camelot actually."

It didn't take very long to get to Merlin's house. The inside of the house was cozy with a fire in the grate. Clementine was seated in an armchair talking with an old man wearing blue with a long white beard. She smiled at Akio, but didn't nearly as excited to see Juliet. "Oh…its only you."

"Clementine, I'm here because I have something I need to say to you."

Clementine looked over at a large book that was on a desk. "You know I think I may have a way of calming you done. You see that book there?"

"What about it?"

"There are some folks in it that may be able to help you. Just go over there and take a look."

Juliet walked over to the book and picked it up. "Winnie the Pooh?"

Oh dear God not that book. I thought I was rid of them.

Rid of who?

The animals that live in the book.

It can't be that bad. I think I'll take a look.

The area she ended up in looked like it was on the outskirts of a forest. There was a house built into a tree trunk up ahead. She walked a little closer when she saw something very strange.

It looked like a bear was stuck in a hole.

"Are you ok?"

The bear looked up at her. "Actually I think I'm stuck."

"So I can see. What are you doing in there?"

"Well, you see….Rabbit said he had honey and I think I ate a little too much."

"Do you want some help getting out of there?"

"Help would be nice."

Juliet grabbed onto his arms and put one of her feet on the side of the wall. "Ok, I'm going to pull. Try and wiggle when I pull all right?" Even though Juliet was pulling as hard as she could it didn't feel like the bear was coming loose at all. "You know this would be a lot easier if someone was pushing you from the other side. Stay there I'll go look for someone."

"Rabbit should be around here somewhere."

"Rabbit? Ok, I'll look for him. What was your name anyway?"

"Winnie the Pooh. Pooh for short."

As Juliet walked through the garden she could hear what sounded like bouncing, but before she could figure out what was making the noise she was knocked over.

What was staring down at her was a tiger with an extremely bouncy tail. "I've never seen you around here before. Who are you?"

"Juliet. Would you mind getting off me?"

The tiger only sat down on her stomach. "Well I'm Tigger. T. I. Double grr."

Didn't I warn you about the stuffed animals? They're imbeciles.

Of course they're imbeciles the only thing they have in their heads is stuffing. But they seem friendly. "Look, Tigger was it? I'm glad I ran into you. I could use some help getting Pooh out of a hole."

"You mean Pooh's got himself stuck in Rabbit's house again?"

"This happens often?"

"More often than you'd think. Pooh loves honey."

"Well maybe he should control himself a little next time."

"Why?"

"Never mind. Do you think you can help me with him?"

Tigger got off her and began bouncing over to where Pooh was.

"Ok, Tigger what I need from you is to go in Rabbit's house and push ok?"

"Roger that."

Juliet grabbed onto Pooh's arms again bracing her foot against the hill. "Ok, push." This time it felt like Pooh was coming loose. She jerked hard again before falling on her back as Pooh came sailing out. "Ok, good mission accomplished."

Pooh didn't look at all upset that he'd just been yanked out of a hole and instead got up and dusted himself off. "Thank you so much, Juliet. Do you want to come home with me and have some honey?"

"About the honey Pooh maybe you should try moderation next time."

"What's moderation?"

"Moderation is when you don't stuff yourself to the point of getting stuck in a hole."

Pooh scratched his head in thought before taking her by the hand and leading her towards a path. "I'll try moderation tomorrow."

Once they were in Pooh's house Juliet was given a large jar of honey. She pushed it aside to see Pooh start to chow down. "Pooh, do you remember meeting a man named Erik? Well I guess he would have been a boy the last time he was here."

Don't mention me.

Why not?

Because I have some not so fond memories here.

Pooh removed his face from the honey jar. "Erik? Did he have black hair?"

"I think so."

"I kinda remember him. He wasn't very nice."

"I can imagine."

"I think he was so mean because he didn't have any friends and was lonely. I tried to be his friend."

Did you really not have any friends?

Friends don't matter.

Yes they do.

How would you know? You've been pushing your so called friends away.

"Do you not have any friends, Juliet? Is that why you're here?"

"Well there are these two. Akio and Clementine I think you've met them."

"Ah, yes I remember them. They're very nice."

Juliet sighed to herself and looked down at her feet. "And you know Pooh I've been treating them really badly. Especially Akio."

"Why?"

"I don't know. There's just something in me telling to keep them away so I don't hurt them."

"Friends don't purposely hurt friends. I'm sure they'd understood if you told them."

That actually sounded like good advice. Juliet hadn't actually explained to either of them why she wanted to be on her own.

Pooh stood up and began walking over to the door. "I'll show you how to be a good friend. Let's go visit my best friend, Piglet."

It turned out Piglet's house was built into a tree too. Pooh knocked on the door, but there wasn't an answer. "I thought Piglet would be home."

"Pooh is that you?"

Juliet looked up into the tree to see Piglet stuck in the branches. "How did you get up there?"

"A gust of wind came by."

"Well stay there I'll come up there and get you." It wasn't that hard for Juliet to climb the tree and easily got up to where Piglet was. "Can you walk over here?"

Piglet looked over at Juliet then down the ground. He covered his eyes with his ears before crawling over to her.

Juliet was a little surprised that someone so small would have such a strong grip. "Don't worry I'm not going to drop you." Since she was cradling Piglet to her chest it was a bit more difficult to climb back down. There was the sound of flapping wings from over ahead and she looked up to see an owl staring down at her.

"Well isn't this odd. I know everyone in the 100 Acre Wood, but I've never seen your face before."

"I'm not from around here." Juliet heard the branch she'd just put her foot on creak beneath her feet.

The owl fluttered down so that he was perched on the branch she was holding. "Well it's awfully friendly of you to help Piglet out of the tree."

"Don't mention it." Juliet had only applied a bit more weight to the branch before it snapped under her weight. Luckily for Piglet she landed on her back.

Piglet quickly got off her looking around fretfully. "Oh dear I are you ok?"

"I'm fine just give me a minute to catch my breath."

See what happens when help others? I thought you'd learned your lesson from Andy's Room.

What was I supposed to do? Leave him in the tree?

Yes.

You're unbelievable has anyone ever told you that? Juliet sat up rubbing the sore spot in the middle of her back.

Owl had come down to the ground by this point. "Well that wasn't a very graceful landing, but at least you got Piglet down. And I must say you have very peculiar eyes. I don't think I've ever seen mismatched colors before."

Juliet leaned back when Owl leaned in. "Well now you have." She glanced over at Pooh and Piglet to see that they were deep in conversation. "I think I've over stayed my welcome. I'd better go."

Pooh saw Juliet leaving and hurried over to grab her hand. "But you haven't seen Starry Hill yet."

Even though Juliet would have really preferred to just leave she allowed Pooh to lead her to Starry Hill.

Unlike the rest of the world Starry Hill was dark the only source of light was the numerous bright stars that were twinkling overhead. She sat down next to Pooh looking up at the sky. Juliet couldn't help, but feel a little jealous from the way Pooh was getting along so easily with Piglet. Why can't I be like that?

Because you're an awful human being.

What makes you say that?

Well, you're always getting into fights, you're cruel to the two people who care about you most, you just act rotten all the way around.

Juliet could feel tears stinging her eyes. It had hurt when the Prospector had called her names and it hurt just as bad when Erik said it.

You're going to cry now? I thought you were made of tougher stuff then that.

Shut up I don't want to hear your voice.

Well I'm going to keep talking. You were even working for me at one point did you know that?

Shut up shut up!

Pooh could hear her sniffing and looked over. "Juliet, are you ok?"

"I'm fine just keep talking to Piglet don't worry about me."

"No, you're crying. What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter." What Juliet didn't expect was to feel a pair of arms go around her neck. "What are you doing?"

"Has no one ever hugged you before?"

She couldn't remember being hugged at least not in her recent memory. A little timidly she wrapped her arms around Pooh.

So you're just going to hug it out? Is that your master plan?

Juliet ignored him and tightened her grip.

After about a minute Pooh pulled away. "Feel better?"

"Much better actually….thanks…" Juliet stood up to go. "I really need to get going now."

"Will you ever come back?"

"Yeah, I'll come back I mean if you really want to see me again."

"You're my friend. Yes, I want to see you again."

When Juliet got back into Merlin's house it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Clementine, Akio I have something important I need to say to you. Especially you Akio. I have recently come to the conclusion that I have been treating you two really poorly and what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. We're supposed to be friends and if I were a half decent friend I wouldn't treat you guys like dirt. I'm going to go now…." Juliet went to open the door when Clementine shut the door.

"Do you really think we're just going to let you go out on your own? We're going with you wherever it is that you're going."

"Really? Well I guess you can come if you're so inclined, but don't slow me down all right?"