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Yellow.r0se & Purpleflower23: Thanks for the review!
Kgirl: Thanks for the review! I, however, am not going to review soon, because this is my story. I assume you meant update? :)
Bookloverforever: All right, dramatic it is... Or kind of... never mind, it isn't, really...
Alcoholic Goldfish: Yes, Sabrina has too many powers. I know. I know. I started this when I was young and foolish, she's getting rid of most of them eventually. Did you like the fight scene? They're always really hard for me to write.
Ninee: Long legs, actually. Iron neck.
When they got to Red and Sabrina, nothing had changed in the scene. Red still sat there, holding Sabrina's sword awkwardly because it was much too big for her, and Sabrina was still lying motionless on the ground.
"Why did you have to drag me out here like that?" Peter whined. "They're just fine! See?"
Red looked up, still shivering, with an expression of relief. "Oh, th-thank goodness!" She said. "I was so scared someone was going to show up!"
"Someone did show up, squirt." Puck pointed out, landing next to her. "It was just us."
"I meant someone bad." Red giggled. "Are you going to carry Sabrina home?"
"Nope, kiddo, I'm going to carry you home." Puck said cheerfully. "Peter here is going to carry Sabrina."
"I'm what?" Peter asked. "I don't think so."
"Tough luck." Puck said. "'Cause you're doing it."
Peter rolled his eyes, but Picked the sleeping blonde up. "Mind you, I'm doing this for her, not you." Peter pointed out. "'Cause she's cool."
"I don't care why you do it, as long as we get these two home." Puck said, grabbing Red's hands. "Up we go, mini."
"Can you walk... fly... us back?" Bella asked. "Just in case? 'Cause it's been a weird day, and I want to make sure I get back to the house safe."
Puck sighed. "More heroic stuff? You guys are really killing my reputation."
"Your reputation is killing itself." Peter said. "It died as soon as you started to grow up."
"Thanks, guys." Daphne smiled. "I appreciate it, too."
"No!" Puck snapped. "I'm going back to being evil as soon as this war is over, don't get used to this! Don't appreciate it!"
"Sure." Bella rolled her eyes. "You're about as evil as Granny's bunny slippers."
"Hey, those things are creepy!" Daphne protested. "Granny Relda wears them when she's got her face mask and her curlers and her battle axe!"
"And the mumu." Red added.
"That's right, don't forget the evil mumu." Puck nodded. "Very scary. See? Being as evil as the Old Lady's bunny slippers is a compliment."
"Sure..." Peter said. "So it'd be OK if I went around telling people you're as evil as slippers?"
"Sure." Puck said. "As long as you remind everyone how you used to wear tights at the same time."
Bella stared at Puck for a second. "That... that was a Sabrina comment."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Puck asked warily.
"Depends what you want it to be." Bella shrugged.
"Then I'm insulted that you'd compare me to that." Puck said, glancing at the sleeping Sabrina.
"Suit yourself." Bella shrugged. "'S just weird that you're starting to pick up her mannerisms."
"Her whats?" Daphne asked.
"Her ways of doing things." Bella explained. "Things that are specific to her. Like you biting your hand when you're excited is a mannerism."
"Oh." Daphne nodded knowledgeably. "I get it now."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Daphne, why don't you just carry a dictionary around with you?"
"I did that once." Daphne said. "But then I fell in a canal and it was in my pocket, so it got ruined."
"A canal?" Bella asked. "Where exactly is there a canal around here?"
"There isn't." Daphne said. "It was in Venice."
"Venice?" Peter spluttered. "When did you go to Venice?"
"Like a year and a half ago, wasn't it?" Daphne asked Puck. "When we were looking for Goldi?"
"You went to Venice, too?" Peter asked Puck.
Puck shook his head. "No, but I watched them go. Weren't you wearing Sabrina's one and only dress when that happened?" He asked Daphne.
She nodded. "She was kind of ticked."
"I never understood that." Puck said. "She hates dresses."
"I bet it was more that Daphne stole her clothes and decided she didn't need her to define words anymore." Bella said wisely.
"Well, she was being a jerk about it!" Daphne snapped. "I was just trying to be grown-up! She should have been honored that I looked up to her that much!"
"Emphasis on the past tense there?" Red asked.
"I don't want to be her anymore." Daphne said. "Sabrina's getting better, but she still has issues. I love her, but I'm my own person."
"I dunno, I'd love to be able to say I was as strong as Sabrina." Bella said. "Doing what she did when she was ten... wow. She's a brave person."
"Right, whatever, and... we're back at school." Puck said. "See you two at home. Later!"
He flew off, dragging Peter behind him, and Red waved at the two girls hurriedly, before they were out of sight.
"What's up with him?" Daphne asked the air in general.
Wendell and Mustardseed appeared out of the crowd behind the two girls, and Wendell said, "That probably has something to do with what happened to him and Sabrina right after you two left."
"What happened?" Bella asked, slipping her hand into Wendell's.
"I don't believe he would appreciate it if we shared." Mustardseed said tactfully.
"Aw, come on." Wendell protested. "They're going to find out anyway."
Mustardseed sighed. "I do believe it would be in all our best interests if we didn't say anything."
"All right, now you have to tell us." Daphne said. "I'm too curious to let it drop."
"Now see what you've done?" Mustardseed asked. "You need to learn some diplomatic skills, my friend."
"Does that mean you're going to tell us what's up?" Bella asked.
"Ah... no." Mustardseed said.
"Please, Wendell?" Bella asked, turning to her boyfriend and looking pitifully at him.
Wendell looked from Mustardseed to Bella, then said in a rush, "Sabrina and Red were going to go after you, but Sabrina forgot to let go of Puck and Peter's handcuffs, so she pulled them and they pulled back and they won and she and Red fell on them and she and Puck accidentally kissed."
"Why?" Mustardseed asked the sky. "Why am I surrounded by people who can't keep secrets?"
"For real?" Daphne asked. "So how come Sabrina didn't say anything and Puck's in a bad mood? Kissing is a good thing, right? And we all know they like each other."
"He faked that he didn't like it." Wendell said.
"And Sabrina faked that she hated it just as much because of that." Bella nodded. "Of course she did."
"Why are they both so obsessed with rescuing face?" Daphne moaned.
"I believe the expression is saving face, actually." Mustardseed corrected.
"Whatever." Daphne said. "How come they have to do it all the time?"
"It's a guy thing, Daphne, you wouldn't understand." Wendell said.
"Sabrina's not a guy." Bella pointed out.
"Nor is she the most feminine of girls, though." Mustardseed reminded her.
"True." Bella said. "So, now that we know what's up and are in agreement that those two are pathetic, are we having study group today?"
"Well, as four of our crucial members are missing, I don't believe it would be particularly wise." Mustardseed said. "In fact, I do believe several other pairs have already headed home."
"So we should go find my Mom and Dad." Daphne said.
"Goodbye, then." Mustardseed said, nodding at the two girls. "I believe they're over closer to the south end of the parking lot."
"The what now?" Bella asked, giving Wendell a one-armed hug, which he returned.
Releasing his girlfriend, Wendell pointed, saying, "That way."
"Thank you." Bella said with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetie."
"See you." Wendell said as the girls walked off.
When the two reached the adult Grimms, Daphne was surprised to see that they were arguing as much as the kids.
"I didn't know Granny ever argued with anybody." Daphne whispered watching her grandmother snap at Rapunzel.
"I wonder who my parents are hooked up with." Bella said musingly.
"You haven't mentioned them in forever." Daphne said. "Do you miss them?"
"I dunno." Bella said. "For over ten years, I assumed they'd abandoned me. And then when they did find me, well, they were in the Scarlet Hand. I never really knew them 'cause they were so focused on their cause, and I just wanted to get away from that."
"So you don't miss them at all?" Daphne asked.
"Well, I miss the idea of them." Bella said. "Of being the only child of two loving parents, of presents at Christmas and birthdays, two people just for me. But I don't really miss them. I mean, they sold me to Rumplestiltskin. I miss what they could have been, not who they actually are."
"That's sad." Daphne said. "Not having a family. I think it's worse than what Sabrina and I went through. At least we had the memories of our parents, and the hope of seeing them again. I always knew they loved me."
"Sabrina didn't." Bella said. "She thought they'd abandoned you."
"How do you know?" Daphne asked.
"She told me." Bella responded simply. "It sounded awful to me. A year and a half thinking no one loved you. Rumplestiltskin at least told us he cared about us."
"I loved her." Daphne said.
"I know, but a six year old can't really help that much when you're beset on all sides." Bella said.
"I guess..." Daphne said doubtfully.
"We should get going." Bella said.
Daphne nodded, and. turning to the adults, shouted, "Mom, Goldi, Dad, Uncle Jake, Granny, Rapunzel, Briar, Snow! Stop arguing! It's time to go home!"
Miraculously, the adults heard her and shut up.
"Part of the problem is that Briar and I don't know where we're going." Snow said. "I need to get back to the fort, but Briar insists that Red needs her."
"I promised to read her the last chapter of that story tonight." Briar said. "We've been reading it for the last few weeks, and we're almost done."
"Maybe..." Daphne said tentatively. "Maybe you should go to the fort today and finish it tomorrow. 'Cause Puck and Peter are going to be at our house tonight and so is Rapunzel, and Goldi, and that's a lot of people."
Briar sighed, defeated. "Fine. But tomorrow we're going to my house."
"That's fine." Snow said. "But I need to be able to set up a replacement today for the rest of the week. Thank you, Daphne."
"So can we go home yet?" Daphne asked.
"Not quite." Henry said. "Where are your sister, Red, and the fairy boy?"
"They flew home already." Bella said quickly. "Didn't want to wait for us."
"Why didn't they take you with them?" Veronica asked.
"We didn't want to listen to Puck and Peter argue the whole way home." Daphne improvised, carefully avoiding the subject of their escapade. She didn't want to be grounded again.
"All right, then." Granny said. "Now if I could convince Rapunzel that it's in everyone's best interest for us to take the Jalopy home..."
"I am not getting in that thing." Rapunzel said, horrified.
"Well, someone needs to ride in it, because we don't all fit in the minivan." Granny pointed out. "And none of the children like my car."
"You don't even have your licence!" Rapunzel complained. "You're not allowed to drive!"
"Actually, mom, now that the other kids aren't here, Henry and I can just take my car, and you two can go in the van." Jake said.
"Well, then, that settles it." Veronica said. "Let's go."
"But, Veronica, having six people in one car and two in another is so unbalanced!" Goldi protested. "We should have an equal number in each car!"
"Fine, we'll go in the wreck." Bella sighed. "Can we just go home?"
"That works." Goldi said, smiling slightly.
Everyone climbed into their assigned cars and settled down for a long, loud ride home. When they finally reached the house, Daphne and Bella ran inside to their best friends worriedly, confusing the adults.
"You'd think someone had gotten hurt or something." Jake said, mystefied.
Puck and Peter were upstairs, too, playing cards with Red. Sabrina was still down for the count.
"Took you long enough." Puck said, not looking up. "Marshmallow, know a way to wake up your sister?"
"Nope." Daphne said. "Maybe we should just think up an excuse for why she's asleep."
"Sure." Peter agreed. "Like what?"
"She accidentally knocked over a sleeping potion?" Red asked.
"Sure." Bella said. "Because... because you were using the open space in Mirror to train, but-"
"But Puck and Peter came in looking for something and they grabbed a sleeping potion by accident, and Sabrina knocked into one of them and it spilled on her!" Daphne finished excitedly.
At that moment, Sabrina said, "I did what?"
"You... well, it doesn't matter, now." Peter said. "It was your excuse for being asleep."
"Oh." Sabrina said. "Well, thanks, I guess. Can I join next hand?" She asked, referring to the game of cards.
"Me too." Bella asked.
"And me?" Daphne requested. "What are you playing, anyway? Go fish?"
"Heck no." Puck shuddered. "That game's for babies. We're playing Blackjack."
"Playing what now?" Daphne asked.
"The point is to not get over twenty-one points." Sabrina said, and began explaining the rules to her younger sister.
They managed to play two and a half more rounds before Puck and Peter lost it again, and Sabrina kicked them out of her room.
"Honestly, they're such idiots about each other!" Sabrina snapped. "It's like they can't see past the ends of their noses!"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Bella asked.
"I... don't know." Sabrina said. "It made sense in my head, OK? Leave me alone, I've had a very difficult day."
"So..." Bella said, scooching forward a bit.
"So what?" Sabrina asked warily.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Bella asked.
"Yeah, actually." Sabrina said. "I think we should start you and me both on a program to build up our stamina. You physically and me magically. 'Cause that was pretty pathetic of me earlier."
"Like you said, it was a rough day." Red consoled her. "It's not like you were fresh."
"I'm not going to be fresh in battle, either." Sabrina said. "So starting tomorrow, we're working on this, OK, Bella?"
Bella rolled her eyes, tempted to smack herself. "No, that's not what I was talking about, I meant..."
"Meant what?" Sabrina asked. "'Cause other than that and the loads of homework (including this assignment) that I got today, I have no idea what there is to talk about."
Bella sighed and snapped, "What happened with you and Puck, of course!"
"Nothing hap-" Sabrina stopped, looking suspiciously at Bella and Daphne's faces. "Wendell told you, didn't he?"
Daphne nodded.
"That little-" Sabrina stopped herself. "I'll kill him."
"He's not the only one who saw." Bella said. "You were in the middle of a crowd. I bet a bunch of people noticed."
"So do you want to talk about it?" Bella asked. "Vent a bit?"
"No, I don't." Sabrina said, standing, a little wobbly. "Come on, Red.
"Where are you going?" Bella asked as Red stood, too, and the girls headed for the door.
"To get some forgetful dust!" Sabrina called back.