AN~ Because a lot of you thought Bella was just being stupid earlier, I decided to explain her to you a bit.
Bookloverf4ever: Just OK? How come? 'Cause I didn't make them get together?
Purpleflower23: I don't think Peter thinks of Sabrina as anything more than a friend. He's just messing with Puck 'cause he hates him.
() of chapter 57: Well, thank you for your... abrupt review... of demands. How exactly do you want me to work on my cliffhangers? More or less or more dramatic ones or what? I will tell you what I've told everyone who asks for Puckabrina: It's coming. Slowly. I'm trying to keep them in character. There are other fics which you can read for PuckxSabrina intensity.
"Granny?" Sabrina asked when she got downstairs. "Can I borrow some forgetful dust? A lot, actually? And then maybe go out for a fly? A long one?"
"Maybe, liebling." Granny said worriedly. "What do you want it for, though, and where are you going?"
"Puck and I kind of had a... mishap... today," Sabrina started, "And a lot of people saw it, and it's embarrassing, and I want to make sure nobody teases us about it tomorrow."
"And what exactly was this mishap?" Granny asked.
"Well, I kind of fell on him, and... ahm..." Sabrina fudged, "We may have had some... physical contact... in the face region that neither of us... wanted... or enjoyed..."
"Ah." Granny said, understanding written on her face. "Well, liebling, I do believe I'm not going to give you any forgetful dust, I'm sorry."
"What?" Sabrina asked. "Why?"
"It's marked as a Class II controlled substance by the magical law enforcement." Granny explained. "You need a special permit to carry it, and another to use it. I have both, and they only give me a certain amount. It's part of the reason that the location of Oz is so closely guarded. You have neither permit, nor are you old enough to get one. And even if you did, you'd have to sign a paper saying that you would only use it in situations affecting your personal well-being or the secrecy of the magical community. This isn't one of those, dear heart."
"But-" Sabrina protested. "Can't you use it? It's so embarrassing!"
"No, Sabrina, I can't." Granny said a little shortly. "You'll simply have to deal with this the way everyone else does. I daresay it shouldn't be too difficult. The two of you have had your run-ins before and survived."
"Fine." Sabrina said, making a face. "Thanks for nothing."
"Sabrina, that's no way to talk to your grandmother." Rapunzel scolded."Apologize."
"I'm sorry, didn't realize you were my mother, Rapunzel." Sabrina said, falsely sweet.
Granny looked at her sternly.
Sabrina sighed. "Sorry, both of you. It's just... GAH, this is so annoying!"
"You'll survive." Rapunzel said.
Sabrina screamed angrily and stomped back up the stairs, pulling Red with her.
"Ah, Rapunzel, it might be best if, while you're here, and, well, afterwards, too, you not attempt to be an authority figure for Sabrina." Granny said tactfully. "She's still dealing with a lot, and you have to be careful how you get her to do things."
"I respected authority when I was her age." Rapunzel muttered.
"Yes, well, you were a child several hundred years ago, and your authority figure was a witch." Granny pointed out. "Whereas Sabrina spent a year and a half surrounded by incompetent adults who were most definitely not suited to take care of her. It's made her wary of anyone trying to give her instructions. And I seem to remember you having a bit of a rebellious streak yourself."
"That was different." Rapunzel said. "I was in love."
"So is she." Granny smiled softly. "She simply doesn't realize it yet."
Rapunzel rolled her eyes, but said, "All right, I'll watch my step around her."
Granny smiled. "Good. Thank you."
"What's taking you so long?" Daphne asked.
Bella was in the shower, and Daphne sat outside, bored out of her skull. It had been over half an hour, and Bella still wasn't washed. Thankfully, though, Uncle Jake had figured out a way to keep the handcuffs from causing indecency issues.
"I have a lot of hair, OK?" Bella asked. "It takes me a while to wash. Maybe if we had better water pressure... Can you pass me the loofah?"
"The what?" Daphne asked.
"The spongy thing." Bella elaborated. "It's hanging from the doorknob."
Daphne tossed the desired object over the shower curtain, and it clattered to the floor of the tub.
"Hey!" Bella complained. "That almost hit me!"
"Sorry." Daphne said, not sounding sorry. "What do you need it for?"
"It exfoliates my skin." Bella said.
"Which means what?" Daphne asked.
"It gets rid of the dead skin cells." Bella explained.
"But..." Daphne started, confused, "But I thought they fell off on their own. I don't need to use the loofah or whatever it is."
"I have a skin condition." Bella said. "It's 'cause of the frog thing, and it's worse whenever I transform. But something makes my skin cells stick together, probably the same thing that keeps me from falling off ceilings, so I have to use this otherwise my skin cells build up and it looks really gross."
"So that's part of what takes you so long in the bathroom in the mornings?" Daphne asked.
"Exactly." Bella said. "What did you think I was doing?"
"Putting on makeup or primping or something." Daphne said.
"I do that in my room." Bella said. "And it doesn't take nearly as long. I can almost put my makeup on in my sleep, I do it so much. I'm kind of offended. How shallow do you think I am?"
"A lot more than you really are, apparently..." Daphne said quietly.
"I care about how I look, Daphne, but that's not all I am." Bella said. "Is it that bad that I want a little normalcy? One thing that I can control? We could die any day, and sometimes... I just feel so lost, so helpless, and taking care of my looks is my way of getting back some sense of self."
"Oh." Daphne said. "Kind of like how you were in denial about us getting attacked three hours from now?"
"Pretty much." Bella said. "I'm not proud of that. I just, oh I just want to be normal sometimes!"
"Someday." Daphne said. "Once we've won the war."
"But what if we don't win?" Bella asked. "Then there won't even be a normal. That's why I want to fight, actually. Because I never got the chance to be an ordinary kid, and I want to save it for the people who are. Maybe I'll get a chance, then."
"Sabrina used to think like that, didn't she?" Daphne asked.
Bella nodded. "She still kind of does. I think that's why we're friends, even though we're so different."
Daphne sat back thoughtfully. She'd always thought Bella was just a pretty face who happened to be good at science. But now... maybe there was more to her.
Sabrina and Red flew to school the next day.
They left early, before anyone else was really awake, beating the arguments out of the house. They'd written a note saying where they went so that the adults didn't worry, and taken to the skies, flying high and safe in the crisp morning air.
"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" Sabrina asked.
Red nodded, but said nothing.
"Wassup?" Sabrina asked, noticing the look on the smaller girl's face.
"I was just thinking..." Red said.
"About what?" Sabrina asked.
"Lots of things." Red said.
"Such as...?" Sabrina hinted.
"We kind of seem to be fighting a lot less than the others." Red said. "I wonder why?"
"Maybe 'cause you're so quiet." Sabrina mused. "And 'cause I'm trying. Really hard. I want to be nice. I seriously do, not just to you, but in general. It's hard, though. What else were you thinking about?"
"I was just remembering the jabberwocky." Red said. "I know it was scary and huge, but... I loved it, and I think it loved me. And I miss it. I miss having a pet, actually."
"Elvis doesn't count?" Sabrina asked.
"No, he's Granny's." Red explained.
"Maybe Uncle Jake and Aunt Briar will give you one for your birthday." Sabrina suggested.
Red shook her head. "I doubt it. Where are they going to get one? And even if they did... it's too dangerous for a pet that's not magical here."
"Mmm..." Sabrina said thoughtfully. "So what else were you thinking about?"
"It's nice to have a family." Red said. "But... what are we? Papa Jake is your uncle, but I'm adopted, and not even really adopted. So what are we?"
"Family." Sabrina said simply. "Who needs labels?"
"I dunno, I like to know what exactly everyone is." Red said. "Maybe it's just 'cause I'm still trying to get my family back, like I did... before..."
"Red, you don't need to find your old family any more." Sabrina pointed out. "You have a new family now, and we love you."
"Do you ever..." Red started hesitantly, "Do you ever worry that I'm still crazy?"
"No." Sabrina said. "I saw Daphne pull the craziness right out of you. Maybe before, right at the start, I wasn't sure if it would work, but... I know you, Red, and you're as sane as I am."
"So crazy, then?" Red asked.
Sabrina stared at the smaller child. "Did you just make a joke?" She grinned.
Red nodded, smiling shyly.
Sabrina nodded. "Puck would have been proud. Especially since you made fun of me. Was there anything else on your mind?"
"Not really, aside from the normal stuff." Red said.
"Which is...?" Sabrina prompted.
"Art, school, Daphne, more art, the war..." Red trailed off.
Sabrina grinned. "Ah, Daphne. Made it onto your list."
"She's my best friend." Red said simply.
"I know." Sabrina smiled, flying down to the parking lot of the school. "It was just kind of weird, 'cause the rest of it is big, general stuff."
Red let go of Sabrina's hand and the two walked into the cafeteria, sitting down at a table to wait for school to start, since they were kind of tremendously early.
Puck and Peter arrived shortly afterwards, shouting at each other.
"-told you she'd be fine!" Puck snapped. "Why'd you have to tell the Old Lady they'd left? We missed breakfast!"
"Think that might have had something to do with it?" Peter returned. "Did you see that food?"
"Yeah, it looked delicious!" Puck said, "What was wrong with it?"
"It was green!" Peter snapped. "The only food that's supposed to be green is vegetables, and they taste awful! No good food is green!"
"Shows what you know!" Puck rolled his eyes. "The Old Lady makes fantastic food!"
"Right." Peter said sarcastically. "And I'm a married man!"
"Why aren't you?" Sabrina piped up, interrupting. "I mean, Wendy seemed available, according to what I read, and you obviously liked her, too..."
Peter just stared at Sabrina for a full minute, then stalked over to the opposite end of the cafeteria.
"I don't think he liked that." Red whispered.
Sabrina put a hand to her mouth and called, "Peter, sorry, I had a word vomit moment, I didn't mean to say that! I'm seriously sorry!" She addedmroe quietly, "Please please please don't go around telling people what happened yesterday..."
Peter glared at her for a few seconds, then said, "Fine. Whatever."
Sabrina sighed in relief. "Thank you, higher power."
The two pairs sat on opposite ends of the cafeteria for a while, until Red stood up suddenly. "Come on. I'm bored."
"Wha-" Sabrina stopped, remembering her task for the week. Red was taking charge, which meant she was supposed to sit back and go with it.
They walked over to the boys and Red sat down, pulling Sabrina with her.
"Hi." Red said.
The boys nodded at her. Sabrina snickered, noticing just how alike their actions were.
"What?" Peter asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." Sabrina said.
"Somehow, I don't believe you." Puck said, leaning forward.
"Trust me, you don't want to know." Sabrina assured him.
"Come on, dish!" Puck demanded.
Sabrina was about to protest again when there was a clanking noise behind her. She spun, eyes alert, pulling Red halfway out of her chair.
It was just Momma, who was opening up the kitchen. "Morning, kiddos!" She called. "What are you doing here so early?"
"Sorry, Red." Sabrina said, turning to the girl, who was righting herself. "Hi, Momma! We left early 'cause the house is too loud."
"Did you eat anything first?" Momma asked.
"No." Puck complained, glaring pointedly at Peter. "'Cause somebody had to go and tell the Old Lady that Grimm and Red had gone missing, so she sent us out to check on them before she finished cooking!"
"Well, come on in to the kitchen, then." Momma invited. "I think I can whip you up something."
They all stood, disentangling themselves from each other, and wormed their way between the jam-packed tables of the cafeteria to the kitchen and the lunch line, where Momma was already mixing a bowl of what looked like pancake batter.
"Wow, that looks delicious." Sabrina said, watching Momma pour the most definitely pancake batter onto a frying pan.
"Dibs on first!" Peter called.
Momma chuckled. "You're funny, sugar, but you get the last ones now."
"Aww..." Peter whined as Puck laughed in his face.
"And now you're next to last." Momma told Puck, who lost his grin abruptly.
Sabrina and Red looked at each other warily. "You can eat first." Red offered.
"And you, sugar bunches, get the first pancakes!" Momma announced, handing a plate to Red.
"Wha-" Red started, "But I..."
"Why do I feel like we've just been involved in a moral story?" Sabrina asked.
"That would be because we have." Puck said. "Like one of those TV shows Daphne likes, or something..."
"PBS?" Sabrina asked. "Wow, Momma..."
"Hey, I like to add a bit of moral stuff in now and again." Momma smiled, flipping the pancakes. "Go sit down."
They did, and Momma served them pancakes a few minutes later. They enjoyed a wonderful breakfast before Puck and Peter began arguing over who would get the last one, and Momma ejected them from the kitchen.
"Don't come back until you can stop arguing." She scolded them "No fights in my kitchen!"
Sabrina and Red split the last pancake, then walked out to join the two boys, leaving Momma to clean up.
"Oops." Sabrina said, turning. "Momma, you want a hand?"
Momma chuckled. "I got it, sugar. But thanks."
"No problem..." Sabrina said, turning around again and walking with Red back to the boys.
"See?" Red asked Sabrina. "It hasn't been awkward after all. You and Puck are getting along fine!"
"We've barely spoken to each other." Sabrina pointed out. "And nobody's been around to tease us yet. It'll get worse, just you wait."
Red made an if-you-say-so face and said nothing.
They were back at their table again, and Puck and Peter were arguing, volume increasing as they went on.
"Oh, for goodness' sake, shut up!" Sabrina snapped. "We get it. You hate each other. Move on, would you? It's getting boring!"
"You argue more than Sabrina and Puck ever did." Red added. "It's kind of scary."
"Maybe just cut down to that amount." Sabrina suggested. "And stop repeating yourselves. At least be original so that I can be entertained."
"Because I live to entertain you, stinkpot." Puck rolled his eyes.
"See?" Sabrina asked. "You're not even using original insults anymore. You called Peter an ant-brain at least five times."
"Fine, we'll mix it up." Peter said. "I'll call him a... I don't know, actually."
"Well, shut up until you do know." Sabrina suggested.
The boys did, and a few minutes later, other students began filing in the doors, signaling the start of another day.