"So where did you come from, Bae?"
"Here and there."
"You are quite curious, Baelfire."
He let out a gentle smile and she felt she could trust him.
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Of course."
"I'm not actually 13."
Present day
Alice made her way through the streets. Everything was rather quiet this early in the morning. She looked at the paper in her hand. "Much good this is. I don't even know where the street is." Perdita started to bark frantically before running off. "Perdie! Perdie stop!" Alice ran after her dog through the foggy morning. This weather reminded her of London mornings. The only time she was able to go out in public because the streets were quiet. The mist also reminded her of somewhere else. It reminded her of smoke. Smoke that surrounded her as she spoke with a particular catipillar. This was such a curse, she couldn't even divide her memory from reality and wonderland. "Perdie where are you!?" She rounded the corner and stopped abruptly seeing a tall red-haired man petting Perdita. He too had a dalmatian. She stepped forward quickly and took her dog by the collar. "I'm very sorry about that. She doesn't get out much." The older man grinned a genuine smile. He pushed up on the brim of his glasses and looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "That's alright. Pongo doesn't get to see many dalmatians either. Although you might want to get a leash. Regina has a strict leash policy."
"Regina..."
"Mayor Mills..." He raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Are you new? Come over with that lot from the last curse?"
"Huh? Oh... you could say that. I just never got around to introducing myself to the town." She extended a hand to him. "I'm Alexis."
"Dr. Hopper." He hooked his umbrella to his arm and shook her hand. "But you can call me Archie."
"Archie, what a nice name. What are you a doctor of?"
"I'm the psychiatrist."
"Oh..." Alice's face dropped noticeably. She had seen her fair share of shrinks in her time and had terrible experiences with all of them. Archie lowered his head to meet her eye line again. "Is everything alright?"
"Hm? Oh yes. I just... I'm a little distracted today. Lot's on the mind."
"Really?" Hearing the curiosity in his voice she instantly regretted talking about her mind. "Well perhaps I can help." Here it comes. Another shrink about to analyse her. It was all a dream, Alice. There is no Wonderland, Alice. You are not trapped as a child, Alice. There is no Queen of Hearts after you, Alice. She braced herself for the judgmental look and condescending words. Archie opened his mouth as Alice narrowed her glare. "You see, I've always found that a nice cup of tea at Grannies is the best way to clear the mind." Her eyes widened hearing his comment. "Grannies?"
"Yes." He offered her his arm, "I'm walking that way if you would like to join me." She only hesitated a moment before linking arms with him, "I would love to. It's been some time since I was invited to tea anyhow." She smiled and they began to walk. Both dalmatians walked in front of them side-by-side. And for just a moment, she forgot her troubles.
"I told you we shouldn't have trusted that brat!"
"Don't speak poorly of your elders, Cruella." Rumpelstiltskin stood still watching the horizon of the road while Cruella paced behind him. "Oh do shut it with your sarcastic comments. I'm not in the mood. First you drag my from my lovely home -"
"Empty home-"
"Force me to abandon my glamorous life - "
"Bankrupt life-"
"And had me drive both of you out here to get our so called happy endings. Well it appears to me, Alice got her end of the deal and we are stuck here worse off than we started." Rumpelstiltskin just kept his gaze on the horizon and muttered to himself, "Nobody breaks a deal with me, dearie... nobody."