Author's Notes:

This story is long and chapters will be updated quickly. While I tried to be faithful to the movie as much as possible, I did adjust the timeframe a bit. Earwig's age is never mentioned in the movie, but she doesn't look or behave like a ten year old. Rather she seems like a 7 or 8 year old, at the most. Also, someone online unofficially named her mother "Scarlet Rose" which I love. I did invert it however, just to make it flow a little better. I think Rose Scarlett works well while still having a witchy-sounding quality.

I wrote this story because I like these characters and I longed to know more about them while wanting more to the story, itself. Like most people, I was disappointed by the ending. I had my theories about what may have happened and went in search of clues by ordering three books: the film's storyboard, The Art of Earwig (conceptual art) and the roman album which contains publicity promo information. All three proved insightful. It's as though Goro was painting a bigger picture behind the scenes but failed to include it in the actual movie, itself! Where appropriate, I'll include notes in the chapters to explain my reasoning based on my findings.

"Merry Christmas, Earwig."

Earwig, yes, of course! The little girl stared at the woman in the doorway standing before her, recognizing her face from the poster, immediately. What a delightful surprise to see the long-lost beautiful red-headed witch had come back to visit Bella and Mandrake, and on Christmas, no less. Ooh, what excitement!

"Hi, Erica," Custard chirped, still a bit nervous, despite the woman's reassuring hand on his shoulder. Erica? Right, Erica. The red-haired witch noted the name this little boy called her daughter. The orphanage must have changed it. Ah well, nothing to be done about it now. There was no point in driving that issue any further, as the child has been called Erica her whole life, and nothing was going to change that.

"Merry Christmas to you both, hurry up and come in!", Erica exclaimed excitedly. "Custard, I have so much to show you! Here, give me your hat and coat, I'll hang them up for you!" She then turned toward the redhead. "Have you come to see Bella and Mandrake? You're a rockstar, right? I love Earwig! The Mandrake gave me a poster to hang in my room and—" The girl's words ran on, enthusiastically.

"Actually, I….", the red witch started to interject, but realized she needed to choose her words carefully. What was she planning to do, proclaim herself, a complete stranger to this girl, to be her mother? In her eagerness to return to her "family", she had failed to think this through. Damn. Wouldn't be the first time…. She started again, bending her knee and kneeling down to the little girl's level and removing her gloves. "I am very pleased to meet you. Erica, is it? And who is your little friend?"

"This is my best friend, Custard! We lived together at St. Morwald's children's home before I came to live here six months ago." Erica leaned toward the woman's ear and began to whisper in a conspiratorial tone behind a flexed hand. "I've been trying for months to get him to come and visit. He's afraid of the Mandrake." She pulled back and spoke normally. "Isn't that silly?" The woman smiled softly.

"Indeed." She then turned to Custard and gently placed her hand on the back of his shoulder. "There's nothing to fear. He may look stern and scary, but Mandrake wouldn't hurt a fly." Erica glanced at her, puzzled, knowing that wasn't completely true. How well did the red-haired witch know the Mandrake, exactly?

"Well," the woman started, "my name is—"

Ever the aspiring sleuth, Erica interrupted, showing off her detective skills. "Rose Scarlett. Yes, I know. I saw it on the back of your album sleeve. As I said, I'm a fan." She emphasized this point with a shrug of her shoulders and a flippant expression.

"Girl! What's keeping you out there? Hurry up and bring your guest in, the dinner is getting cold!", called a voice from the kitchen. Rose felt a twinge in her chest and her eyes glimmered as she recognized the voice and the person from which it came: Bella Yaga.

Erica held a finger to her lips and looked at Rose. "Let's surprise them! You wait here for my signal!" Erica brought Custard down the hall to the kitchen and Rose watched them vanish through the door. She heard voices as introductions and pleasantries were exchanged.

After what felt like several minutes, Erica made an announcement. "We also have a surprise guest joining us!" Bella looked confused and glanced at Mandrake before they both turned to look at Erica. The little girl went back to the kitchen door, opened it and looked out into the hall before waving her hand at someone to come forth. Slowly, they saw a woman's face carefully peak around the door with a timid and apprehensive look on her face.

"Good grief!", Bella exclaimed, eyes wide and completely gobsmacked. There stood Rose Scarlett, like a Ghost of Christmas Past come to haunt them. "I don't believe it…", she continued incredulously. Rose smiled slightly, seeing her friend again, but was interrupted by a growl emanating from the far side of the table. The man sitting there suddenly backed his chair and stood up from the table, his entire head had turned five shades of red, including magenta, and bubbles formed on his forehead. Sparks flared behind his thick glasses. He and Rose looked at each other, exchanging completely different expressions. Was this Mandrake, Rose thought? He looked so different, and yes, strange, to her eyes. Frightening, even. She suddenly understood the little boy's fear and quickly regretted her words to him in the hallway. As if on cue, Custard whimpered and scrunched deep into his chair, wishing he could disappear. Taking notice, Erica leaned over the table, and spoke to the Mandrake in low voice in the hopes of coming to everyone's rescue.

"Sir, you're scaring my friend," she said gently, looking up at his towering form. The Mandrake looked down at the little girl. He appeared deeply flustered and disoriented. He looked back at Rose, his face frowned beyond recognition, steam wafting from his shoulders. The paper party hat worn atop his head for the occasion suddenly burst into flames before extinguishing as quickly as it went alight.

"Ericaaaa…..", Custard had had just about as much of this ordeal as he could handle and looked as if he would break into tears. Bella quickly stepped in to address the situation, speaking to Erica in an efficient tone.

"Erica, take your friend to your room. Go and hurry now! I'll send for you in a bit." She curtly ticked her head to the side to direct the children out of the kitchen, and they wasted no time in making a quick exit. Rose continued to look at the Mandrake in disbelief, but he was already planning his own escape.

"I…I'm sorry. Please excuse me…" He swiftly moved past her and through the nearest wall towards the refuge of his beloved den. Rose's gaze followed him in complete confusion before looking back at Bella.

"What just happened?", she asked. Bella stared at her in disbelief.

"What just happened?", Bella parroted. "You just walked through that door after seven years and surprised the hell out of us, that's what happened!"

"I'm sorry, I….I just wanted to see all of you again. I thought it would be a nice surprise….."Rose's voice faded as she tried to process all of this, wondering how she could have so poorly estimated her friend's reactions. Bella's facial expression began to waver, her eyes softening with concern. "I've missed you, Bella." At that, Bella felt her steel exterior begin to crack. Despite how events had transpired between the two women during their last days together, Bella still cared deeply for Rose. She worried about her decision to go on the run from the 12 Witches and was hurt beyond measure that Rose had fled with her child and left her and the Mandrake without any recourse or means to find her. To make matters worse, she had no idea when Rose would return, if at all. Seeing Rose stand before her, Bella's joy at seeing her friend standing safely in her kitchen won out over any hurt feelings she still harbored.

"Hell's sake, girl, where have you been? We've been worried sick about you…", and with that statement, Bella abruptly pulled Rose into a rough hug, tears brimming her eyes.

Rose felt a sigh of relief and smiled into Bella's blue hair. She promised to tell Bella everything that had happened, everywhere she had been and who had been helping her. But right now, she had bigger fish to fry. She needed to talk with her daughter and she needed to know what the blazes was going on with Mandrake.