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

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

The evening sky had a turned a deep magenta as the sun had already dipped behind the horizon. The town was beautiful at this time of day. Not everyone could appreciate it, however. Claire and her two girls were dog tired after the hours of hard labor. While she would have preferred to let some else cook by stopping at Granny's for dinner, Claire could not afford it.

Instead, the three women went home. Mrs. Kensington put on a pot of water to boil. Then she tossed in salt for flavor followed by some pasta. In a pan she dumped a can of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, spices and seasonings. Tina still had much to study this evening, so with Valerie's help the two chopped onions, crushed garlic and sliced bell peppers and mushrooms.

"What are we making?" Val asked of her mother.

"Pasta and red sauce," Claire answered.

No meat was added. Not just to satisfy Valerie's sudden conversion to vegetarianism. It would have been easy enough for her to put some meatless sauce in a small pan just for Val. Instead, it was because Claire realized meat was quickly becoming a luxury in this house. In fact, many things that all three had taken for granted recently would likely become expendable luxuries in their home just to pay bills and keep food on the table. First on that list was cable television. Claire even considered selling the minivan.

No, I can't, she reasoned. If the truck breaks down I'll have no other way to drive to jobs and complete contracts. Customers needed someone they could count on to be there at the specified time on the specified day. Most people planned their schedules around such work, taking precious time off from their jobs to receive a contractor or service technician. Being unreliable was the proverbial death sentence.

Whatever her worries, it was a good meal. Even Valerie commented how much she enjoyed it asking for a second helping. Claire had hoped to preserve as much of it for tomorrow night, but seeing her Valerie work so hard today she gave her that extra serving. Claire was very proud of her eldest daughter. She didn't pout, talk back to her, avoid doing her job or try to leave early. Valerie worked as hard as anyone today and never once complained. As much as she wanted her old Valerie back, this aspect of "Vidia" was one that Claire liked.

~O~

Never before had Vidia so relished removing footwear. The steel toe shoes she was forced to wear at the job site were so painful no amount of coercion could make her keep them on her feet. As soon as they came off, she sat down and rubbed her tired and achy toes. When she donned the fuzzy slippers Vidia determined that they were the complete opposite of the work shoes. So soft and comfortable and pleasing to the skin.

Queen Clarion had asked Vidia to assist her in make evening meal. She did while wearing those soft and impossibly luscious shoes. It was like walking on a cloud.

"You know, when you were younger you had fuzzy, bunny rabbit slippers," Queen Clarion informed her. "In pink. They were so cute."

The flyer looked down at her slippers and tried to imagine bunnies on them. No matter what, it always conjured a rather disturbing image of rabbits mercilessly tied to the fur. The queen of the never fairies could never allow that to happen. It must be something else, Vidia told herself. Probably some strange human idea of animal inspired footwear.

~O~

After dinner, Vidia was told to go upstairs and get ready for tomorrow morning. "Make sure your clothes are in order and that you have all of your ID's ready," the queen instructed her.

"ID? What ID? And what clothes?"

Clarion smiled a weak smile, then kissed her gently on the forehead, something she seemed quite prone to doing as a human. "I'll show you when I'm finished here."

Vidia ascended the stairs and took a good shower to clean the accumulated dirt and sweat off of her. She noticed something that she had overlooked this morning. Her legs felt scratchy to the touch. She asked Tink what it meant.

"You need to shave your legs," was her reply.

"I need to what?"

"Shave your legs. Well, actually you prefer to wax your legs."

"Why?" Vidia asked her.

"To get rid of the hair," Tink explained. "That's why they feel so scratchy, hair is growing in and you need to remove it. You prefer to wax because you don't have to do it as often as shaving."

"Is this normal?"

"Uh, yeah, you've been doing it for years." Tink sounded rather perturbed. Maybe she was the wrong one to ask all these questions, but Vidia had one more.

"How do I do that?"

"Really? You don't remember? What, you never had to shave your legs in Fairy Hollow?"

"Pixie Hollow and no, we didn't. Hair never grew on our legs."

Tink looked momentarily dumbstruck by that statement. "Must be nice. Okay, let me show you. Beats doing homework."

~O~

Claire finished clearing the dishes and put them in dishwasher to get them clean. She slipped into the living room to kick off her shoes and sit down to relax for a moment before going upstairs and becoming a mom again. In her hand was a glass of wine. A small amount to help her calm down. Tomorrow would be especially stressful for everyone.

Seconds later, tonight became equally stressful.

"YEEEEAAAAAGGGGHHH!"

The blood curdling scream came from the upstairs. She ran up to find Valerie in her underwear standing in the hall and yelling at Tina. "What are you doing?! Do you know how much that hurts?!"

"It's going to hurt," Tina shot back, appearing surprised at what her sister was saying. "What? Did you think it would be easy?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Claire bellowed to be heard over the din. "Now what's going on here?"

Valerie pointed to her sister and yelled, "She's trying to rip my skin off!"

"She's lying," Tina screamed. "I was helping Val to wax her legs for tomorrow! And then she starts screaming like a banshee as if it's all my fault that it hurts so much. I told her it would hurt, but does she listen to me? No. She acts like this is her first time leg waxing. She's always waxed her legs. Why do I have to… to…, Mom, what are you doing?"

Claire had started banging her head against the wall to try relieve her stresses and frustrations. She then grabbed her hair, as if to pull it out by the roots before calming down and giving instructions. "Okay, Tina, go back to your room and keep studying. I'll help your sister with the waxing."

Tina shot a horrible look at Valerie and then stuck her tongue at her. "NGNYAAH!"

"Oh yeah, well…, NGNYAAH to you, too!" Valerie responded, sticking her tongue out at Tina.

"Okay, that's enough out of both you," Claire said to her girls. "Let's go inside."

"Do I really have to go through with this?" Valerie asked her.

"Yes, dear, we all do."

"Even you?"

Claire sighed. "Yes, sweetheart, even me."

"Why are we so special? Is it because we're fairies that we have hair on our legs?"

Claire thought that was a very strange question. "Uh, heh, no. Not just us, dear, everyone woman I know shaves or waxes their legs."

"Whoa! Why?"

"So we can look and feel good," Claire replied. Somehow that just didn't seem quite enough for Valerie who kept peppering her with questions, right up until…

RRRRIIIPPP!

"YYYEEEAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

~O~

After the brutal torture of leg waxing, Vidia was introduced to other places on her body that needed hair removal. Humiliating didn't begin to describe it. The more she learned about female grooming rituals the more she hated being human.

When it was over, Queen Clarion, who still insisted on being called "Mom," helped Vidia prepare her clothing for the next morning. "You have to look good for the judge," she said. "It shows respect for the person and the office he or she holds."

Finally, something Vidia understood. A business suit and skirt, dark panty hose, heels and a matching purse completed the ensemble. "Why the purse?"

"To carry your identification," Clarion answered. Vidia was shown a ladies wallet. It belonged to Valerie. Inside were several cards with writing and pictures on them. One was a driver's license. "It means you can legally operate a vehicle, like my truck." There was a white and blue card with the words Social Security and a long number that was divided into groups of three, two and four. The explanation for Social Security was harder for Vidia to understand. Something else identified a bank and account number where her money was held, along with a credit card and finally a wallet sized high school diploma.

All of this was held in the wallet along with a few bills of money. This was placed in the purse which was set down on her desk. "You're all set for tomorrow, sweetie," the queen told her. "Anything else?"

"Uh…, yeah. What is going to happen tomorrow?"

The queen explained that formal charges were to be read to her and the lawyers would enter a plea, then bail would be set.

"Bail?"

"How much money it will take to let you out of jail until the hearing."

"But I'm not in jail," Vidia answered.

"Oh, honey, you're under house arrest, remember? Deputy Swan intended it to be like being in jail until the arraignment. Then I'll have to come up with the money, somehow, to keep you at home."

"Well, can't you get someone to help?" she asked the queen. "Someone like the Deputy or Lord Milori?"

"Lord who?"

"Lord Milori. Uh…, Hartley…,"

"Hartley Winter? No, I can't ask him. I don't want Hartley to think I'm taking advantage of his generosity. I like him too much for that, but maybe Deputy Swan can provide some tips. I'll give her a call."

Vidia watched as Queen Clarion picked up some device, pushed a few buttons and waited. Then she spoke into it. She paused, as if waiting for someone to respond, but Vidia heard no sounds coming from it. At least not at first. When she strained, a tiny voice could be heard emanating from the object. She couldn't make out what was being said, but it sounded familiar. Deputy Swan perhaps. Then suddenly, her queen started speaking into it again.

She was reminded of the small device that was used at the hospital in the same way. Phones they were called. Vidia needed to learn how to recognize every form of a phone and how to use them. She would no longer have to rely on others to summon a person she needed. Just another in a long list of technologies that she had to understand to function properly in this new world of humans.

Queen Clarion put down the phone and told her that Emma would be at court tomorrow to offer any support and testimony she could.

"But don't worry, Dr. Whale's deposition will be included and Dr. Hopper agreed to appear at the arraignment."

Vidia smiled. "Thanks."

Vidia felt a little better. Finally, she was able to manipulate at least a few variables to her own favor.

~O~

Claire finished the wine she had poured earlier. She was so afraid for herself and her precious girls. Paul and Ben were object lessons against crossing Regina. The mayor's wrath could be swift and final. The two young men lived well as city employees. But when they had a little too much to drink that night and ultimately caused damage to some very expensive construction equipment their lives were turned upside down.

City jobs paid enough for them to live in a nice two bedroom apartment. Now they were forced into a one room efficiency and had to live in much closer quarters. It was a good thing that Paul and Ben were such good friends. It made surviving their fall from grace that much less difficult.

As a mother, Claire's anxieties were more intense. If she lost Valerie to a jail cell in another city, she might not see her again for months or years. Knowing Regina, who had always accused her of being a poor mother, she might also push to have Tina taken away as well. That stigma would also mean losing her city contract and being unable to find meaningful work or employment. The house would be lost to Mr. Gold and Claire would find herself living on the streets begging for money and food or standing with the other day laborers, hoping someone would be kind enough hire her for some work. Everything in her life that meant anything to her would be gone. Most importantly, her two girls.

This was a most extreme situation and in all likelihood could never happen, but it didn't stop the nervous mother from thinking about it. Regina wasn't one to offer leniency. In response to her imaginary worst case scenario, Claire removed a dusty book from a bookshelf. She wiped it clean wit a rag and opened it. This was a photo album. She flipped through the pages, reliving her life and the lives of her two beautiful girls.

Claire just hoped that these precious memories wouldn't be all that was left of her family after tomorrow. She had hoped to see Tina graduate high school and go on to college at M.I.T. and become a highly successful electrical engineer. Claire wanted Valerie to get her life back together and find her purpose. Or at the very least to learn this business so she could take it over when Claire eventually retired. She wanted grandchildren who would play at her feet the way Val and later Tina did when they were wee babes.

Claire clutched the photo album to her chest and wept. She wept so much that Claire cried herself to sleep.

Poor Vidia and poor Claire. You just have to feel sorry for both of them.

The arraignment is in the next chapter with some stunning surprises. I hope you enjoyed this one. Thanks for reading.