Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon A Time Crossover
Season 1, between episodes 7 and 8

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Valerie had crumpled to the floor, crying shamelessly. Claire wrapped her arms around the girl, saying "I'm right here sweetheart. Everything will be okay." The two orderlies who had been chasing the girl stood nearby, ready to take the girl back to her assigned hospital bed. Claire helped her daughter to her feet so that a nurse could tend to the wound on the girl's arm. Afterwards she caringly led her daughter back to the ICU.

Though without incident, Claire noticed that Valerie was staring at each person who passed by. Her face conveyed so much terror, her body quivering. More than once Valerie withdrew when someone came too close to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Who are these people?" Valerie asked. Her eyes were wide with fright.

"They are the hospital staff," Claire reminded her. It seemed to Claire as if Valerie thought these people might reach out and grab her. "They won't hurt you."

"I don't recognize any of them," Valerie said.

"Well, it's a big hospital," Claire replied. The mother became nervous. Valerie's claim to being named Vidia was discomforting at best. She remembered David Nolan who had lost his memory and couldn't even remember who he was for several days. Claire wondered if her own daughter had taken a blow to the head so severe that her own memories were in doubt. She tried not to think too much about it.

"Where are you taking me?" Valerie asked.

"Back to your hospital bed," Claire answered her.

"NO!" Val shouted. "You can't. They'll…, they'll-.

"They'll what, dear?"

Valerie didn't answer right away. "They're going to hurt me, cut me open to see what's inside and put me up in a display case."

"Oh no they won't, honey," Claire said, thoroughly baffled by Valerie's terrified response. "This is the hospital, they help the sick and the injured."

"Then where are the healing talents?"

"You mean doctors? Oh there are plenty of them here."

"This doesn't make any sense. What's going on? Where are we? Why are there so many humans around?"

Claire made a nervous little laugh. "Valerie, we are all humans. What else would we be?"

"We're fairies."

This didn't sit well with Claire. Fear welled up inside her as she and Valerie continued their conversation. "I'm sorry, did you say we're fairies?"

"Yes."

"Everyone?"

"No. Just the three of us. Don't you remember?"

"Valerie, do you know how you got here?" Claire asked. "The accident you had on the road Thursday night?"

"Accident? What accident? The last thing I remember was gathering pollen for spring. It's still a little fuzzy."

The mother put an arm around her eldest girl and held her. She walked with the girl slowly towards the ICU. Maybe she just can't remember the accident, Claire told herself. It would be a huge relief if that was all it was.

The orderlies escorted the three Kensington women to the Intensive Care Unit, keeping watch over Valerie in case she ran again.

"I don't even know where I am anymore," Valerie suddenly added. "This doesn't look like the healing ward in the Pixie Dust Tree."

"What kind of tree?" Claire asked.

"The Pixie Du-," Valerie was cut off by Tina.

"Hey, when did you get a tattoo?" the younger girl asked.

Claire stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at her younger daughter.

"It's right there, on her back," Tina said, pointing.

Claire pulled apart the gown and saw the first outlines of a tattoo across the entirety of Valerie's back.

"I have a what on my back?" Val asked.

"When did you start getting a tattoo?" Claire asked her.

"A tattoo? I never got one of those," Valerie replied, frustration in her voice. "Why aren't we in the Pixie Dust Tree? Where is Pixie Hollow? Why happened to us?"

Claire, though, wasn't listening. She was thinking how much she and Valerie were more alike than she initially wanted to believe. When Claire was about Valerie's age, she went out and got a tattoo on her back, as well. It was an act of open rebellion against her mother and father. She thought it made her look cool. Bitchin' was how she described it. Her parents thought it made her look like white trash.

When she married and adopted Valerie, Claire never once mentioned the tattoo on her back. She even went so far as to keep it covered it up while Valerie and later Tina were growing up. What was cool and awesome back then to a proud and foolhardy young woman, became fraught with pitfalls when Claire became a mother. She had wanted to set a good example for her two girls. Showing off a bitchin' tattoo wasn't the way to do that.

Of course, with Valerie setting a good example wasn't always enough. No matter how straight arrow Claire tried to act around her two girls, Val always had a nose for diving into trouble and disobeying her mother. Like all those facial piercings, or the motorcycle and dating that shark Kyle. If Claire forbid it, Valerie went out of her way to do it. She was rebelling the same way Claire had at this age.

She blamed television. Especially those nasty reality television shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The people on those shows were not good role models in Claire's estimation. They glorified trashy behavior and disrespect for authority. It was the reason why Claire would not let Tina watch a lot of television or movies. Most were violent, profane, and vulgar and were filled with characters of dubious moral and ethical fiber.

Claire also remembered the curse. The one her mother placed upon her when Claire was a child. "I hope when you grow up you have a child that acts just like you." As Bill Cosby once noted, the curse worked.

"Will someone please answer my questions?" Valerie yelled, irritated.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Valerie," Claire apologized. "What was your question?"

"Your Highness, why are we the same size as humans? What happened to your wings? Where is the Pixie Dust Tree? Where is your pixie dust dress? Where are the ministers of the seasons?"

"What the hell is she talking about?" Tina asked.

"Shh, watch your language, Tina," Claire admonished. "Valerie, what are you saying?"

"Why do you keep calling me Valerie? My name is Vidia! And why are you calling her Tina?" Valerie gave Claire a look of even more confusion. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what, dear?"

Valerie pointed to her little sister. "She is Tinker Bell. We live in Pixie Hollow and you are Queen Clarion, ruler of the Never Fairies."

"Tinker Bell? As in Peter Pan and Never Land?" Tina asked.

"Yes, that's right," Valerie said to Tina, a hope glimmering in her lavender eyes. "You're Tinker Bell."

Claire and Tina shared a look, one that could best be described as fear. Fear that the blow to Valerie's head may have done to her what it did to David Nolan. David, however, simply could not remember anything about his past. Valerie seemed to be channeling a whole new personality. A new identity.

Or it could be Valerie playing a mind game, Claire thought. Claire had made a startling and painful admission. She hadn't wanted to adopt Valerie to begin with. It was a horrible thing for her to say to the daughter she loved so dearly.

Claire tried to convince herself that she didn't really mean it. But when she searched her memories and feelings, there was no other conclusion. She had meant every word.

Please don't do this to me, Valerie, Claire's eyes pleaded.

"Well, I see we had ourselves a little adventure today," Dr. Whale said.

Whale had received the message that Valerie had woken up and went to give the girl a thorough check up. When he had arrived, though, the alcove where Valerie's bed was located was turned upside down. Nurses and technicians were busily cleaning up the mess.

The nurse on duty told him what had happened. Valerie woke up, became terribly afraid, struggled and ran. A trail of blood on the floor revealed where she had gone. Whale followed it and found the girl under control with her mother and sister.

"Oh, Dr. Whale, I'm so sorry for what has happened," Claire said to him.

"It's okay," Whale replied. "Waking up in strange surroundings can be a bit jarring." He leaned in close to Valerie, who stepped away from him.

"Who are you?"

"Don't be afraid, Valerie," Claire told her sweetly. "The doctor just wants to make sure you're okay."

Valerie looked into Claire's eyes, pleading for something. She obviously didn't want this man to come near her.

"You'll be fine, don't worry." Claire then lovingly pulled Valerie's hair back and straightened out her gown, tying it off to be more discreet. It was busy work for Claire, making her daughter look more presentable to the doctor. Claire wasn't entirely sure why she was doing this, but she was very nervous and needed something, anything to take her mind off of things even for a moment.

"I'll be right here," Claire told her oldest. Valerie turned and looked at Doctor Whale. She gulped down hard before submitting.

Whale's first order of business was to check the impromptu bandage that a nurse had put Valerie's arm. It was the spot where the I.V. had been ripped from her flesh. The white bandage had turned somewhat red from the blood.

"We need to take care of that," he said with a friendly smile. "Now, Ms. Kensington, why don't we go back to the ICU and I'll patch that right up."

Valerie backed away again. Recoiling from his as if he were some kind of monster. Claire put her arms around the girl, holding her as if protecting her from a nightmare.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "He won't hurt you. Dr. Whale is here to help, sweetheart."

Valerie refused to budge.

"I'll be right beside you," Claire told her.

Mrs. Kensington gently guided her frightened daughter down the corridor as they followed Dr. Whale back to Intensive Care, Tina following right behind. Valerie was apprehensive the entire way, still watching with an eagle eye every person that walked by her. Valerie's head acted as if it were on a swivel, turning one way and then the other and every which way possible. She eyed the lights in the ceiling with suspicion, the tiles on the floor with utter confusion, the self-actuating doors frightened her, the disembodied voices through the intercom sent Valerie into fits as she tried to find who was talking.

Claire did her best to keep Valerie calm during the long walk back to her hospital bed. Once in the ICU, Dr. Whale directed Valerie to sit in chair that somewhat resembled a one piece school chair/desk, only the "desk" part was an elongated arm rest.

"Why do you want me to sit there?" Valerie asked him.

Whale replied that when she ran from her bed, Valerie tore the I.V. right out of her arm. Her wound was bleeding and he wanted to determine if any piece of the needle was still in her arm.

"No," she said, recoiling in terror.

Claire, however, reassured her that no harm would come to her. She even pulled up a chair to sit next to Valerie and kept a comforting hand in Val's shaking and sweating palm. The girl finally sat in the chair and put her arm out, hesitantly trusting the words spoken to her.

Whale carefully removed the bandage and sterile pad. Blood oozed from the wound with each pulse. Valerie had to turn away, staring into Claire's eyes as if searching for release from this horrible moment.

"Don't worry, Valerie," Claire said in a quiet and calming voice. "Mommy's here."

"Mommy?" she said, clearly at a total loss.

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Did you just say…, Mommy?"

"Uh huh."

"Mother to whom?" Valerie asked.

Claire's face turned almost ashen. "To you, Valerie."

From her facial expression it was clear that Valerie could not believe her own ears. A shot of pain turned her attention back to the arm. "What are you doing?"

"I'm disinfecting the wound," Whale answered. "No needle fragments were found so now I'm going to close it up." He then turned to a nurse and gave instructions for an antibiotic I.V. drip to prevent infection.

To Claire, Valerie acted as if she had no idea what was being said or done to her. Every bit of her body language screamed dread. It was as if she had never been here before or had even heard of a hospital like this.

"Sis, are you feeling okay?" Tina asked.

Valerie didn't respond.

"Sis? Valerie?" Tina then tapped her shoulder to get Valerie's attention.

"What?"

"I said are you feeling okay?"

"Did you just call me sis?"

"Yeah, because you're my sister," Tina answered.

"I'm not your sister, Tinker Bell. Periwinkle is your sister."

Tina and Claire shared another one of those frightful stares. Whale listened intently as he finished with the girl. He had to hold Valerie's arm tightly after reminding her that the suturing would cause mild discomfort.

"Who's Periwinkle?" Tina asked her big sister.

"You don't know? How could you not know? You nearly got all of us frozen to death trying to find her in the first place. You built that snow machine and brought it to the Winter Woods so Peri could explore the warmer seasons. But then we ran out of ice and-."

"The what woods?"

"The Winter Woods," Valerie stated. "Periwinkle is a frost fairy. She can't come into the warm seasons without breaking a wing. That's why you built that snow machine. So she could cross the border, but we ran out of ice and she almost lost her wings."

"Wings?"

"Yes, her fairy wings," Valerie replied. She was beginning to sound desperate. Possibly bordering on hysterical.

"She broke them?"

"NO! We got her back to the border in time."

"In time for what?" Tina asked.

"In time to save her wings, aren't you listening? Don't you remember any of this? Don't either you remember what happened? Do you…, do you even know who you are?"

"Sweetie," Claire began, "I'm your mother. This is Tina your little sister. You're my daughter, Valerie. We live in Storybrooke, Maine."

"No. No. My name is Vidia. I'm a fast flying talent." She pointed to Tina. "That's Tinker Bell, a tinker talent. And you are Queen Clarion, ruler of all the Never Fairies of Pixie Hollow. …wait, we live where?"

"There we go, all done," Whale said.

Valerie looked down at her arm. Small bits of thread were holding her skin together. "What did you do?"

"I closed the tear in your skin so it can heal, Ms. Kensington." He then motioned to a women in white. "This nice young lady will help you back into your bed and then I'll check on your vitals." He turned to Claire. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"Yes, doctor." Claire and Dr. Whale stood apart from everyone else to speak privately, while a nurse and Tina helped Valerie back into her hospital bed. "Doctor, what's wrong with her?"

"I've heard that trauma to the head, in severe cases, can lead to a change in personality. But this is extreme. Does Valerie actually believe she is someone else?"

"I don't know," Claire answered. "She has been telling us her name is Vidia ever since we got here."

Dr. Whale explained in as simple terms as possible how trauma to certain parts of the brain had shown to radically alter a patient's personality. One instance he recalled was of a construction worker who suffered a metal rod impaled into his head. He survived, but he changed from a loving person to someone no one could stand.

"Her MRI earlier didn't reveal any brain injuries other than a concussion," Whale said. "I think we should perform further tests. Also, I would like to bring in Dr. Archie Hopper for a consultation, in the event this is psychological in nature."

She nodded in agreement. "Okay, doctor, whatever you think is best." Whale stepped away to do a more thorough examination of Valerie. Tina was at Valerie's side, holding her attention and not letting her get too frantic as the nurses reapplied the sensors to monitor her body functions.

Claire trembled with a terrible fear. When she found Valerie in the woods, her body lying motionless on the cold, wet ground her first thought was that she had lost her little girl. That precocious child who ran through the house holding model airplanes and making engine sounds with her lips. She was so relieved when Emma told her that Valerie was still very much alive.

Now it seemed that Claire might lose her first child in a very different way. She will still be here in body, but not in mind. Precious memories, shared experiences, their history together all gone. Wiped clean like erasing a blackboard. She didn't know which would be worse. At least in death neither of them would have to suffer long. If the Valerie she knew couldn't be found, if she couldn't come back, would she still be able to love this girl that was before her? Would this girl love Claire as a mother the way Valerie did? Would she leave, abandoning their family?

These uncertainties overwhelmed Claire Kensington. She sat down, tears pouring from her eyes. She wiped them away as fast they came. She had to keep a strong façade, if not for her, then for her girls. It was hard for her not to break down into sobbing. No parent should have to lose a child this way, she thought. It was just too hard for any person.

My apologies for not getting this up sooner. This chapter was particularly challenging to write now that the dynamic has changed.

Furthermore, Friday was the Fourth of July, American Independence Day which we celebrate with food, music and fireworks. So I was quite a bit distracted.

Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up my little story. If you like what you are reading please let me know. I love to hear from readers their thoughts on the story.