AN~ Sorry this took a little longer than usual. We just got home, and there were many things to do, and much boyfriend to be catching up with.

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The Winner of Last QotD: Pretty much everyone who suggested a legitimate betrayal. Seems that's the only in character thing I have yet to do. Any more ideas would still be welcome. But step up to claim your prizes, everyone!

New QotD: If you were an insect, which would you bee (see what I did there?)? Why?

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lovespuck:^.^ You need an account to write a story. Do you have one? QotD: Gonna be kind of hard to have that happen when they're all out being heroes.

PenguinLoverGurl: I'm glad you liked that bit! I have no idea what a DSIXL is, but I'm glad you have a bigger screen. QotD: Renee/Mustardseed are already together... But Bella/Wendell I was already planning on. Smirt is insane, and was a teacher before, so that won't happen. Art... No. Just no. What do you mean, Red's been excluded? The what you wanted was for the prize for winning the QotD.

fan without an account: Ch. 61: Moth was never in the Scarlet Hand, remember? She was working on her own. Also she's in jail. Ch. 119: Any reviews make me happy. :) This is the second longest story in the archive. QotD: 1) Planning on it. 2) Haven't I been? 3) traitor, not traiter, has already been suggested, and maybe an injury.

Book geek: Thanks very much! I remember getting a review from Lee Jordan on something else, recently. Glad you enjoyed it!

The adults were off on their various enterprises after two long weeks of waiting, and it was time for the kids to head out.

Sabrina hadn't been able to claim the chicken house for their use, because Charming said it would cause too much notice if it disappeared, and then the other adults would get on their case and make them stay behind, which couldn't be allowed to happen. She had, however, laid claim to several unicorns and pegasi for riding purposes, two magical tents that Daphne said reminded her of Harry Potter, and a tablecloth that put out endless food. She'd been in charge of the practical end of their supplies, along with Marcus, who wasn't allowed near magical things, for the same reason she wasn't.

Bella, who, along with Wendell (they'd gotten back together at some point, and Sabrina hadn't been informed), was working on the medical angle, had a huge bag full of minor medical supplies and a jar full of something she wouldn't explain to Sabrina.

Everyone else had been charged to find whatever weapons and magical items they could take without the adults noticing, and they'd done a pretty good job, altogether. Sabrina had decided to stick with her sword, though Puck had handed her a white shirt that he said would keep her safe, mostly, as long as she wore it. She didn't know what the others had, but she hoped it was good.

They- all twenty-some of them- were heading for the doorway when Mr. Clay stopped them. He'd had to stay behind, and he hated it, so he was in a horrible mood. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked gruffly.

"Leaving," Daphne said.

"You can't," Mr. Clay told them. "It's stupid, and you're going to get yourselves killed if you keep running off to play hero! Let the adults handle it."

Sabrina gave him a thoughtful look. What was he doing here, anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be at the fort? She grinned at him slightly. "And stay here?" she asked, "Like you're supposed to be doing?"

"That's different," Mr. Clay said, though his face lost a bit of its stiffness.

"Yeah, it is," Jonas said, "Because we're supposed to be going! You're sneaking out, and we're on orders!"

Now he looked surprised, and he let out a strangled, "What?"

Puck nodded, grinning, and said, "From Charming. So you can either let us go or complain to him."

"But if you do that, we'll totally snitch that you were trying to sneak out, too," Annie told him.

Mr. Clay looked torn, and Sabrina could understand why. He wanted them to be safe, but he wanted to get out as much as they did, and talking with Charming about his decision would just cause problems for everyone. After a moment, though, he seemed to reach a conclusion, and he said, "I'll just have to go with you."

There were several exclamations over this, but Sabrina nodded. It seemed like the perfect conclusion to her. "Come on, then," she said.

And then everyone turned to her and stared, still protesting.

"What?" she asked. "It makes sense. This way he'll know we're safe, and he's not going to tell on us, and he gets to leave like he wants. I don't see the problem here."

"But he's a grown-up!" one of the lost boys, Sabrina never had memorized their names, because they seemed a little interchangeable, but he was smaller than most, protested.

Art, who was still trying to work his way back into Sabrina's good graces, even after explaining everything, cut in, saying, "No, I think she's right. We're not doing this to prove people under eighteen are capable, we're doing it to help. And Mr. Clay can help, even without the wolf." Because that was why he'd had to stay back. People were afraid for him.

Eventually, all the kids came around, and Mr. Clay left with them. The argument, though, put them an hour behind, and Sabrina was anxious. They'd decided their first course of action was to find Peaseblossom, Peter Pan, and Wendy. Or what was left of them. She hoped it wasn't that, though.

Daphne had found a string that led her to whatever she asked it for, and so she whispered 'Peaseblossom' into it once they were finally out of the yard, and they were off on a long, winding, crazy trek that went in a million directions.

Mab stormed into the meeting hall of her castle, late for the summit of the major Scarlet Hand members. This was unusual for two reasons: first, Mab rarely stormed, because she considered herself above flights of temper. Second, she considered punctuality a very important virtue, especially for a host. Tom Thumb, who was sitting on the head of the Master (he didn't notice, having no feeling in his body) took note of this. He hoped she'd explain why shortly.

"Tardy, Mab?" The Master asked.

Mab glared at him and said, "My son has disappeared!" Oh good, she had. This was interesting.

"Can't you keep control of any of your children, Mab?" Nottingham asked dryly.

"He's run off after that fool wife of his!" Mab snapped, waving a piece of paper Tom hadn't noticed in the air. "Left a note and everything, says he's decided our war isn't worth losing the love of his life, or some nonsense like that."

Well, that was less interesting that Tom had hoped. But at least that prince had finally grown a set and stopped moping around in Tom's room. People in love were such idiots. He didn't understand them at all.

"He's done what?" The Beast asked, his scarred eyebrows raised thoughtfully.

"Yes, of course he has!" Mab snapped. "What of it?"

The Beast just shook his head. "It's just... how much must he have cared about her to do that..."

"I hope you're not getting any ideas, Beast," Heart snapped.

"Of course not," The Beast growled.

Tom wasn't so sure about that. But now the Beast was looking at him, and the Master was noticing his eyes turn upward, and it was time for Tom to go, so he popped off his Master's head and to the chandelier. He wasn't supposed to be at the meeting, but he'd never been particularly fond of rules, and he wanted to know what they were going to discuss. Maybe they were planning to actually do something, instead of hiding like cowards.

"Anyway, I think we've had enough distractions," Dr. Jekyll said, sounding bored. "We've been called here for a reason, and as long as I'm not the only one that remembers, I believe it's time to get on with it."

"Yes, thank you," The Master snapped.

The others around the table closed their mouths. Tom shook his head. They were all cowards. That was the only reason he'd ever let the boy rescue his friends. He, at least, was brave. And smart. Everyone here was always complaining about how they wanted freedom, but nobody was willing to do it on their own. All of them stupid and cowardly, like sheep, following their shepherd, the Master.

He was starting to outline his plan, though, so Tom stopped mocking the big people below him and started listening: "We've been here too long. It's time to start moving. They're sitting ducks in their unprotected fort, we'll strike there first."

"What are we going to do, then?" Mab asked, and Tom heard the tremble in her voice. She wanted to stay safe at home in her castle.

"We'll lead a march on them," The Master said, "Dragons. Sunday at dawn. Unless, of course, someone has a conflict?"

This might almost have been a joke, Tom thought, if his tone weren't so cruel. The Master rarely joked, so this was a surprise. He must be in a good mood, with the giant attack. The people below kept their mouths shut. Something smart for once.

"It's settled, then," The Master said, satisfied. "Now let's discuss strategy."

This part Tom wasn't interested in. They'd argue for several hours, and he'd just be told the end result anyway. Besides, it was astoundingly frustrating not to be able to offer suggestions. So he popped back to his room, furnished both for someone full-sized and for him at his present height, grabbed his favorite sword, and popped to Mab's son's head, because he could find a head without knowing where it was.

"What the-" Mab's son, whose name was Cricket (Grasshopper, really, but he hated that), jumped a bit when he felt something materialize on his head, but Tom was already on the ground, and full sized, so he just glared at him and said, "Don't do that, Tom!"

"Sorry," Tom shrugged. "Just wanted to congratulate you on no longer being a spineless coward."

"You're such a supportive friend," Cricket said dryly.

"You've known me for three hundred years. When have I ever been supportive?" Tom pointed out. "I'm a jerk and I know it. But you chose to hang out with me, so you can deal with it."

Cricket grinned, then frowned. "You're not here to bring me back, are you?"

Tom made a face and shook his head. "To those idiots?" he asked.

"If they're such idiots, why do you stay?" Cricket asked.

Tom shrugged. "Nothing better to do. And I betcha the other side is just as stupid. Except those kids. Some of them are all right."

"Go help them out, then," Cricket suggested. The unspoken words were it's what I'm planning to do.

Tom shook his head with a grin. "Nah. Being on the side that's going to lose is way more interesting."

"The what?" Cricket asked.

"They're going to lose," Tom said. "You didn't know that?"

"How can you be so sure?" Cricket demanded.

Tom grinned cheekily and said, "Because we're the bad guys. The bad guys always lose."

"This isn't one of your stories, Tom! This is real life!" Cricket snapped.

Tom loved getting Cricket angry. It was nice to see him actually put up a fight. He thought that was the secret to getting everyone to fight back: get them angry. So he grinned at Cricket and said, "We're all fairy tale characters to the humans. Why shouldn't it work out like that? And besides," he grinned, stretching his arms above his head, "the bad guys have always lost before, haven't they? We're proof of that. Why should it change now?"

"Have you looked at the odds?" Cricket pointed out.

"Well, if you're so sure their side's going to lose, then why are you joining them?" Tom pointed out.

Cricket shrugged. "She's worth more to me than winning is. I learned that when she left."

Tom blinked. Peaseblossom? Really? Sure, she was a nice enough girl and all, and pretty, but was she really worth going into a battle you were almost positive you weren't going to win, surrounded by people who hated you, and making all your old friends hate you, too?

People in love really were stupid.

Still, Cricket was the closest thing he had to a friend, so he told him, "I've seen the odds. And they're all scared to death to do anything. The side you're joining has a fighting chance from anyone's point of view."

"But you're staying with them anyway," Cricket said.

Tom grinned at Cricket and said, "Ye-up. I'm too much of a jerk for anyone else to take me."

"Pretty much." Cricket smiled back at his friend. "Good luck to you, Tom. Try not to get killed."

"When have I ever been stupid enough to let that happen?" Tom asked the air. "Go find your girl, Cricket. I hope she's worth it."

As Tom bounced back to Mab's castle, he heard Cricket say, "Oh she is, Tom. She is." He shook his head again. He'd never understand love.

Peaseblossom had been wandering around in the woods for days, maybe even weeks. She'd hurt her left wing in the battle with the giants, and she couldn't fly, or even retract the wing, so she was stuck wandering around the endless mountainous woods of Upstate New York, hoping she'd come across something she recognized, and not get stomped by a giant. She'd though she'd seen the Chicken House once, from a distance, but by the time she got to where it had been, it was gone again, and it hadn't stopped when she'd called.

It would have helped if she could have at least climbed a tree or something, but her injured wing got in the way enough on the ground, she didn't even want to try clambering up through branches that would snap and snag and sting her weak points. So she was stuck on the ground, cold and wet and lonely and hungry and in pain.

So the day she saw another figure coming towards her in the woods, she ran for it, not caring who it was. She just wanted companionship. She'd even be willing to be brought to prison in Mab's castle, if it came down to it!

But when she saw who it was: Cricket, her ex-husband, the boy she'd loved once, and maybe still did, the prince who'd allowed her to be kept captive in a place she hated, she stopped. Maybe loneliness was better than a companionship that would just hurt them both. She turned to go, but she wasn't fast enough. Cricket's hand was wrapped around her wrist before she got ten feet away.

"Peaseblossom," he said softly, "please."

She shook her head, tugging away from him, not saying anything. Please what? Please come back with me so we can be unhappy together? Please be brave so I don't have to? Please... She didn't even know.

"Can you just listen to me for a minute?" Cricket asked, and Peaseblossom didn't look at him. She knew if she saw the look on his face, she'd melt right there and give him what he wanted. It had happened before. "Just one minute. You can go then, if you want."

"Promise?" Peasblossom asked warily, ceasing her struggle momentarily.

"I swear on... I don't know what to swear on, Pease. What do you want me to swear?"

"Don't," Peaseblossom was the one pleading now. How was it that he could still turn her to jelly like this? Even after she'd told him she was done? Even after years of being without him, after knowing there was nowhere else they could go, that they were just too wrong for each other? Why did he still do this to her, without even doing anything?

She'd give him his minute, and more if he asked. She knew that. Because she just couldn't stop loving him, despite the fact that they just wouldn't work, even though his mother wanted to kill her entire family, even though all her friends hated him, even though he didn't understand. So she sat down on the damp dead leaves, pulling him with her because he was still holding her wrist, and said, "Talk."

"I've left the Hand," Cricket started.

Peaseblossom snorted, interrupting. The idea of Cricket going against his mother for anything, let alone something so important as this, was ridiculous.

"No, really, I have!" Cricket protested.

"All right," Peaseblossom said skeptically, afraid to get her hopes up, "Say you're telling the truth. Why would you leave? You had everything, there!"

"I didn't have you," Cricket said, and his voice sounded so sincere, so sad, and it was something she'd wanted to hear so much, that she almost gave in right there.

But she held herself strong, knowing that, if this was a trick by Mab to bring her in, it would be the first thing the queen would try, so she said, "And what made you change your mind? I was never worth standing up for before." Between them hung the unspoken words I was never enough to go against Mab.

"I don't know," Cricket confessed, "but I know I was being idiotic before, Pease. I finally know... you're more important to me. You... and our baby."

And that clinched it. She couldn't fight it anymore, couldn't stand against how much she absolutely wanted him, how much she needed this boy-man before her, how he completed her even if she'd always been the brave one, the strong one, the one who set their limits, how right everything felt when he was there. Even if it was wrong, she was done fighting. Let it be a betrayal. If he loved their baby, then she couldn't stop him from coming back into her life.

She collapsed into his arms and let him hug her, and kiss her like he hadn't in centuries, and suddenly, they were making up for lost time and finding lost feelings, and it was wonderful, to be with her husband again, even if they were together on a disgusting carpet of soggy leaves and decaying sticks, and he was nervous, and part of her was still screaming 'wait!' and this could never be right, no matter how much she wanted it, because it was the most amazing feeling in the world, being loved by someone she loved back.

They fell asleep like that, and, because she was asleep, Peaseblossom didn't even notice as her body did something it hadn't in millenia: it began to age. Slowly, gradually, in a way that wouldn't hurt the baby growing inside, her body grew older.

When she woke the next morning, it was to find Cricket sitting up, caressing her face, with such a tender look in his eyes that her heart nearly melted. But she had to stay strong.

"This doesn't mean you're off the hook, you know," Peaseblossom said sternly. "I have a friend who can tell whether or not you're lying, and as soon as I can, I'm going to verify your story with her. And if it's not..." She let her voice trail off warningly.

"All right," Cricket said agreeably. "How soon can we do that?"

"As soon as we find them," Peaseblossom said, blushing a little. "I'm kind of... lost."

Cricket groaned. "Peaseblossom..."

"It's not my fault!" Peaseblossom protested. "It was the giant attack! And it's not like I can fly!"

Cricket gave a resigned sigh and said, "Well, I guess we'd better start walking, then. Come on."

They set off, their trail wandering aimlessly through the woods, making frequent stops to catch up on learning each other's bodies, changing direction each time.