Chapter 19

Dorothy, Terry, and their friends stayed for a large supper. Any friends of Terry was a friend ours. We cleaned them up and fed them, as it seemed to have been ages since their last real meal. As we were gathered around the table, you could tell Terry was looking for the one member of the family who was most obviously absent.

"If you don't mind my asking, Mr. Oswin, sir. Where's Aly?"
I looked down at my food and stopped eating.

"Not now," I whispered and made subtle eye contact with him. Oswin put his fork down and looked solemnly at the hallway that led to the living room.

An awkward silence blew over and I cleared my throat. "So, where are you all staying during your time in the Emerald City?"

"I have to get home. To my Auntie Em," Dorothy spoke up.
I glanced at Dorothy, and with a touch of sarcasm to my voice, commented, "That's sweet of you."
"There's an old hot air balloon that will take you from here to where you lived. But it's too late outside now. You may each get a room here for the night. Ess will show you to the spares."

I led the group around by the light of a candle and one by one dropped them off at their rooms.

After the lion and the scarecrow were taken care if, it left myself Dorothy and Terrance. Terry already knew where everything was and wandered off, "I'll be in the bathing room if you need me. I want to talk to you when I get out."

"You're in the room two down from mine, Terry. Knock when you're done."

He waved and walked out. Which left me and the foreigner girl on our own.

"I hope you know that Terrence didn't shut up about you."
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
"He couldn't make the trip back to the Emerald City on his own. And when he finally found us and we told him we'd take him, well, that's when he opened up about you."
"Hmm."
"Essie?"
"All these years. Thinking I should have gone after him. But I never did," I shook my head. "What if he would have died? I owe you, Dorothy. I'm sorry if I've been cross with you. You helped all those people. I guess I was just jealous that it wasn't me that was there to save him."
Dorothy smirked as we neared her room, "Maybe it wasn't you that was there to save him, but it was you that kept him alive. Goodnight, Elsa."
~

I walked back to my room, thinking about what Dorothy had said, and I waited for Terry to come in.

He knocked four times and then came in, looking precariously around the room, "Hasn't changed too much. I missed this old place."
"Good to have you back."
"So, where's Aly?"
I flopped back on my bed and he sat in the chair.

"I should start with this." I sighed and shot a large ice snowflake at him. "I mastered it."

"That's phenomenal!"
"Well, in the meantime, I was practicing. And while I was practicing and Aly was making lunch, Zelena came up behind me and tried to kill me. And Aly jumped in the way. She died saving my life," I breathed, and soon it turned into tears. I was finally telling Terrance the one thing that hurt me the most.

"Oh, Ess." He got to his feet and sat next to me on the bed, and then put an arm around me. I just fell into him.

"I missed you so much. And I thought I'd lost both you and Aly."

"I'm here now. I'm here."
"Thank goodness for that," I whispered.

As we pulled apart, I messed with my braid.

"By the way, I do love the hair."
"Really?" I grinned, it was rare that I worried about my hair because there was nothing I could do about it, but the thought had crossed my mind that Terry might not have liked it.

"Of course. You've really... I mean… um, You're really pretty. Really."
I blushed, which must have seemed like an interesting contrast from my platinum hair and pale skin.
"You are okay though, right?"
I nodded, "Yeah. I think so. Glad you're home safe."

He gave my shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room and wishing me goodnight. All I could picture was his younger self, barring a brave face as we said goodbye so many years ago. It was strange seeing him so much older, so much more grown up. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. As I snuggled myself into bed, one part of me longed for childhood, while the other part began to dream of Terry as more than my best friend.

The next morning, I awoke to a feeling that had been absent in my life for quite some time. I felt ready to take on the world, but I knew I wouldn't be doing it alone. Terry was back, and we would be able to go on adventures, talk to one another, just be together again. At this realization, I practically jumped into my clothes and cleaned up for the day faster than usual.

When I waltzed into the dining room, I found Oswin, looking quite frustrated at a piece of toast.

"You okay?" I asked absently, not really figuring anything too serious was troubling him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He did the usual Oswin thing and waved his hand as if he were swatting at something. I began to pour the tea for both of us.
"When are you sending off the balloon?" I asked, mostly just to make sure I could go off with Terence for the morning until Dorothy left.

"Yes, you may go downtown with Terence for a while. The balloon will leave at noon." he looked up at me and smirked, knowing full well I had no desire to stay cooped in the palace like I had been for quite some time.

It was clear that something was still bothering him, but I didn't want to have a long discussion of everything that was wrong in the world of politics. I quickly shot some ice into the freezer for the day as I usually did, kissed his cheek, and then hurried back up the stairs only to run into Terence.

Slightly embarrassed by the fact that I wanted to look a little nicer before we went out among the town, I turned red and I felt the cool breeze at my fingertips.
"Good morning," he grinned.

"Morning."

"I thought maybe we could get some breakfast at the cafe downtown. Sound alright?"
"Sound perfect!" I exclaimed, trying not to sound too overeager to go anywhere with him.

"Well," he looked around, as if waiting for something. "Let's go. We'll come back for the balloon ceremony in a few hours."

I nodded, and we both headed down and out of the palace and to the town, linked arm in arm.