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

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Claire's fears only grew with each passing hour. The court appointed lawyers were imbeciles. Depositions were taken, evidence was reviewed and both Dr. Whale and Dr. Hopper were consulted by phone regarding Valerie's change in personality and her claim to being another person altogether. The only evidence missing, the lynchpin, were the MRI scans that revealed a change in her brain activity. Hopefully Penny was doing her best to recover them in time for the actual hearing.

Yet what frightened Claire most of all was just how unprofessional, petty and incompetent these two men were. They glossed over important information and then had running arguments over the most trivial of details. They even argued about how they wanted their coffee, as if it was up for debate. She looked over at her daughter frequently to gauge her reaction. What Claire saw was shock and frustration. Then urgency and even disgust and anger at these two nitwits. Yet what she never saw was outright fear. It distressed her to not see fear at the dim prospects for her future.

The entire ordeal lasted most of the day and neither of the two attorneys even offered them a bite to eat when lunch time rolled around. Of course, the two men didn't seem eager to have lunch themselves, they were too busy yelling at each other over nonsense. Perhaps most dispiriting was that Rob took to insulting Jeff, calling him a garden gnome. Jeff took it personally and began to pout. Rob finally had to apologize and the two made up as friends just long enough for them to find something else to argue about. If one or both of these men was that easily insulted to the point of tears, what would they do in a courtroom where the opposition wouldn't be so contrite?

~O~

Blake was just too pleased with himself today. Chester noticed it easily, but waited for Blake to tell him why. However, Blake wasn't so forthcoming. He wanted Chester to ask, eventually he did.

"Okay, what's got you so puffed up today?" Chet asked via the Bluetooth headsets they wore while picking up trash.

Blake let out a triumphant holler before continuing. "I've got a date with the prettiest girl in town. Tina asked me out last night."

"She asked you out? I thought you were going to ask her out? No wait, let me guess. You two have decided to switch gender roles. You're the girl and she's the man in the relationship. What will you do for your bridal shower?"

"Nope, not even your sarcastic tone can deflate my sails this good morning," Blake answered with impenetrable enthusiasm. "It doesn't matter who asked who, I've got a date."

"Aren't you supposed to be like forty before you start seducing teenagers?"

"We are very close in age, it doesn't matter."

"I don't think fuzzy math counts. Besides if you actually do go out on a date with a sixteen year old, just remember that Liam Neeson is going to hunt you down and kick your ass. Just like in that movie, Taken."

There was a brief pause before Blake replied. "He's not so tough."

~O~

Once the consultation was mercifully over, Claire felt the weight of inevitable doom on her shoulders. It was reflected in how she carried herself. She slumped her shoulders, shuffled her feet and appeared to be staring into space most of the remaining hours of the day.

It was now almost three and school was going to let out. It amazed her how much time the two lawyers wasted today. Time she needed to get back on the job at the Town Hall or risk losing the contract. If that happened it would be increasingly difficult to find work, even if the unusual circumstances of what happened became public knowledge. It would reveal just how small and unreliable her company had become over the past few years.

Claire drove to the high school and picked up Tina just as classes let out.

"So how did it go?" the teen asked.

"Lousy," Valerie said immediately. "We need better representation."

"I can't afford anyone else," Claire sighed. "We're stuck with them."

~O~

"We're stuck with them."

Those words hit Vidia like a pound of pebbles. She was not unfamiliar with legal proceedings having been part of the trial against the fast flyers who wanted to overthrow the queen many centuries ago. The flyer understood the need for proper representation and they weren't getting it from Robert and Jeff.

"This isn't an option," Vidia spoke up. "We need better lawyers or the case against me is going to stick."

Clarion shut her eyes and nodded. "I know, honey. But without the money to pay them, they will never help us."

"Well, Valerie had some money maybe that will help."

The queen explained just how expensive good lawyers can be. The costs were outrageous. Unless someone was willing to step up and offer their services pro bono, meaning at a reduced cost or for free, there were no other options.

Vidia shrunk into her seat. The realization of this set in quickly. That evil Regina woman was going to win after all. It burned Vidia to her core to have been outmaneuvered. It had been done to her before, but then she was a naïve young fairy.

It seemed that naiveté becoming an issue again. Her lack of familiarity with this human world, a world of the future, was so beyond her grasp she couldn't use it effectively to her own ends.

Then another thought struck her. She couldn't navigate this world, but someone else could. Someone like Deputy Emma Swan who believed in her, or Lord Milori who was in love with the queen and would lay down his life to help her. Vidia now felt emboldened, except for one tiny detail. She had no idea how to contact them. Viola wasn't at the queen's side, so just how did humans summon each other in this place. She had to find out.

~O~

Claire drove home. "I know we have a lot to do tomorrow, but there is still the city contract we have to fulfill," she told her two girls. Her intention was for all three to eat something quick. Then they would go to the Town Hall and do as much work before nightfall.

"But I have homework," Tina said.

"Take your books," Claire answered. "Help us for a while and then do your studies there."

~O~

After a bowl of cereal, which had slices of banana, strawberry and some blueberries thrown in for good measure, Vidia had to change into the steel toe shoes. They were the most uncomfortable shoes she had ever known. The steel toe protection severely limited the amount of room in her shoes. Her toes felt caged, she couldn't even wiggle them. The flyer asked if it was necessary, Clarion told her they were.

Their work involved painting and repair work, some of which would be on a scaffold. "And don't forget your hardhat," she told Vidia. Something else she disliked the instant she put it on.

~O~

On the way over, Vidia noticed that they drove passed the building with the words "Town Hall" on it. Tina asked where they were going. To finish their work faster it was now necessary to contract out to hired labor. Their destination was the street were the day laborers gathered. Clarion wondered aloud if any of them remained this late in the day.

A couple of blocks from their destination Vidia spotted two people on the sidewalk that she recognized.

"Stop! That's Clank and Bobble."

"Who?" Tina asked.

"Clank and Bobble," Vidia answered. "They work side by side with you, Tink. You know them. They're members of the Tinker Talent Guild, just like you."

"Yeah, I've heard of them alright," Tink answered. "They got themselves fired for having a light saber duel with a pair of back hoes."

Vidia's confused look prompted Tink to reply, "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Not a clue. But we have to turn back."

Clarion was not inclined to do so. Those two were a little drunk when they used city property for their impromptu swordfight and she wanted no part of their hijinks, especially on such a critical city contract. Vidia bade her once more to turn back, but Clarion refused. However, at the site where the day laborers gathered, no one was there. They had all gone home or found work.

"Oh, what am I going to do," Clarion whimpered. "We have got to catch up or get fired."

Vidia held her tongue for a moment. Then spoke up again. "We need to go back and get Clank and Bobble. They're experienced tinkers. They do good work, I've seen it."

The queen dropped her head onto the steering column. She sighed. "I guess we don't have much of a choice." Clarion turned around and located the two men.

"Stay in the car," she ordered. In less than a minute of conversation that Vidia couldn't hear, Clank and Bobble shook the queen's hands and hopped into the cargo bed of the pickup truck. Vidia finally remembering the name of the queen's horseless carriage.

~O~

Well into the late afternoon and early evening Claire, Tina, Valerie and their two hired workers Paul and Bennie worked to gut several walls of the Town Hall so they could be rebuilt and painted. With so many hands the task was made much easier. Eventually Tina had to stop and do her homework. Valerie was limited by her one good hand, but Claire made the best of the situation putting her to work discarding buckets of rotted wood into a large dumpster out back.

"Be careful of the rusted nails," Claire told her. Valerie noted the protruding metal spikes. She kept her work gloves on at all times along with safety glasses and hardhat.

Mrs. Kensington stopped momentarily to watch her eldest girl take a bucket outside to empty it. This was the first time she had ever seen Valerie work so hard. She seemed dedicated to the project and not engaged in some fantasy about flying planes. Claire was so proud of her.

~O~

Vidia knew hard work. As a friend to a tinker fairy, several in fact, she had spent more than her share of time building some crazy Tinker Bell designed contraption or another. She helped to build the snow maker when Tink met her sister in the Winter Woods. She also assisted in the construction of a boat which she and her friends used to try and rescue Tink from the human house that one summer when they met Lizzy. Then, when Zarina switched their talents, it was Vidia, now a tinker, who devised and constructed a makeshift boat from a crocodile eggshell and some vines provided by Iridessa, who was temporarily a garden fairy.

Today, though, was the first time she didn't have her wings to propel her. Everything was done on foot, an inefficient and tiring way of doing things. It was made all that much harder with one hand still in a splint. The hardhat she was forced to wear was hot and became increasingly uncomfortable, the steel toe shoes were an exercise in nagging discomfort, but it was that funny, orange liquid they all drank regularly that was the most confounding.

"What do you call this stuff again?" she asked Tink.

"Gatorade."

"It's not made from alligators, is it?" Vidia asked, horrified. Tinker Bell explained that the name was derived from the mascot at the university where the drink was developed. "The University of Florida Gators."

To Vidia it tasted sweet and orange, but also very salty. Tink explained why, using words like "electrolytes" that went right over Vidia's head. "Supposedly it does more than put back water, but also certain things you sweat out."

"Does it?"

"Don't know. I just like the taste."

~O~

At the conclusion of their marathon work session, Claire paid the two men she had contracted that day. She was impressed by their work ethic and attention to detail.

"If you need more help, you know where to find us," Paul told her.

"We're always looking for good jobs from good people, just like yourself," Ben added with a cheery smile.

"Thank you, gentlemen. I will certainly keep you in mind," Claire answered in a non-committal way.

~O~

On the walk back to their one room efficiency, Paul who was rather short and skinny with a shock of orange hair and wearing coke bottle glasses, turned to his friend and with a happy tone of voice said, "You know what this means, don't you, Bennie?"

"Yes, I do, Paul. No ramen soup for us. Tonight we dine on actual food." Ben was a taller fellow, with large muscles and an equally large belly. His hair was jet black and he sometimes had a dull, but always cheerful look on his face.

"Aye, let's get to the store before it closes," Paul said gleefully. "O-oh, I can taste those burgers now."

"Burgers topped with delicious American cheese, with chips on the side and maybe even…" Bennie gasped. "Do you think we could even have a soda with our burgers?"

"I don't see why not?"

"I can't believe it!" Bennie squealed excitedly. "We're finally going to drink a soda. It's been so long, I've forgotten what they taste like."

Paul laughed at his friend. Neither had really forgotten, but that one poor decision was still costing them.

"Paul, do you think she'll actually call us up again? I liked working for her."

"Me, too. Y'know, Bennie, I got the feeling she just might look us up next time. Who knows? Maybe this will finally mean a good change in our fortunes?"

"I certainly hope so, I'm getting tired of living on the edge every day."

Paul sighed. "I know what you mean, buddy."

Alright, Clank and Bobble are now in the story. Their names, Paul and Ben (Bennie) are derived from their voice actors Rob Paulson (Paul) and Jeff Bennett (Ben).

Vidia has now experienced the "wonders" of steel toe boots and the deliciousness of Gatorade. What else is in her future? Keep reading.

Feedback is always appreciated.