"Carmine Robbins. Now ain't that a difficult name to say five times without getting tongue-tied? I mean I've tried to say it but don't do it, it hurts. Moving onto why I'm bringing this stranger up, it's because after my fight with Prank and burying him in my father's home. This guy who is defiantly from Wonderland warned me about something happening and that I shouldn't worry about it. I mean yeah I get it I can't be killed but that doesn't mean I'm not going to think about it, especially now after he left I decided to investigate the spots where he was standing and noticed something familiar. Cat hair, while most people will think it natural since we have tons of talking animals in the forest. This particular hair isn't from an animal, it's from a hybrid. This means that Robbins is half Wonderlandian and half feline, I met someone like that years ago when I met Scar's kid, Claw. The difference with this one is Claw was a cub before Maleficent used her magic to turn him into a full-blown beast, Carmine was born like this. Hopefully, he's accepted in Wonderland and not seen like a monster, I know the feeling all too well."


Wonderland-Maddox's Laboratory

While living in the kingdom of the Queen of Hearts isn't filled with excitement and joy, it does have people who are willing to express themselves and hide from the queen's gaze. Such as Carmine Robbins, the son of the Chesire Cat who many people didn't know that the cat was a female due to how mysterious the feline kept to herself. Individuals like herself along with the other creatures in Wonderland resided in the wilds and weren't allowed in within the Queen's kingdom. Luckily for Carmine, he had special skills in being in one place and not there at the same time. Much like another friend of Maddie who works for her Majesty, Red considered him a friend to deepen on whenever it came to learning things and being open-minded in a closed-off kingdom. Maddox Hatter, the son of the Mad Hatter could think of numerous inventions that either made the Red Queen powerful or terrifying to keep her subjects in check.

"Just one more turn of the bolt."

Maddox muttered to himself as he was working on a machine as it would be perfect for the Queen's meeting with the small leaders across Wonderland that she enjoyed messing with. Having finished his last turn, the inventor walked over to turn on the machine and watch it operate.

"Time for a show."

He spoke excitedly as the Hatter watched how the tea was being picked for the cup to the right amount of water as well as the perfect temperature. Continuing to watch the machine make the perfect cup of tea, Maddox walked over to see the drink being poured into his cup along with a small crumb cake that would be great with the beverage.

"With this invention. The queen might let me choose my array of hats to wear, or even keep around in the castle."

Hoping for him to have numerous hats in his room since the only formal wear that was allowed to be in the castle was the Red Queen's tiaras and hats. Attempting to test if he has created the perfect tea for his Majesty, the doors open abruptly which causes Maddox to drop the cup and spill his tea on the floor.

"Note to self. Make a device that can keep the tea from spilling, also. Hello Princess Red."

Greeting the princess of the castle and making a mental note of how he didn't like wasting good tea to sudden abruptions. Smiling at her friend and walking over to take a seat in his chair, Carmine took a moment to rest on his head since being a loyal servant of the Red Queen had its perks, such as a comfortable bed to help the inventor think of wonderful inventions.

"There isn't any need for formalities. Along with why you wanted to see me, I was working on shuffling my cards and trying to learn how to throw them like my mother does at the butlers."

Red responded to Maddox that she didn't treat him like a servant but as an equal since she had no one to hang around with growing up. The only one who was around was Maddox who took joy in having someone being a friend along come to have tea time with him when the queen wasn't looking.

"Really? Enough to cut this butter in half for my nighttime toast?"

He asked her as the Hatter showed him a block of butter that he had by the side and was ready to cut it. Hearing about her card practicing made him intrigued and wanted to see how her training had come along since Red would learn how to shuffle cards since they can be used to protect herself. Taking out her special deck, she pulled out a card that the queen symbol and moved it across her fingers. While showing off was easy, it was cutting through an object that was a challenge since her mother could do it without any trouble. Taking the moment to focus and aim at the middle of the butter, Red flicked the card toward Maddox which flew above the butter to hit the side of Carmine's tail as the boy yelped at how close the card was to cutting it off.

"When learning to lie, make sure to cover your tracks. Which you haven't done properly from what you did to the royal garden."

Responding to her failed attempt and pulling the curtain upwards it showed the guards on high alert and searching for the mask vandal. Before Red could explain that and how she was improving the portrait of her mother, the Jubjub Bird that was searching for the masked vandal landed near Maddox's window.

"Hi, guys. Did you happen to see someone running around doing parkcore? I made a bet with Brandy that if we find her, I get her firecrackers while she gnaws on her bones."

He asked them as Red looked over to see if Carmine hid from sight since outside creatures weren't authorized to be in the castle. The only ones that were sanctioned were Jules the Jubjub Bird and Brandy the Bandersnatch. Shaking their head at not seeing her, the teen bird lets out a screech before diving off the window and continuing to locate the fugitive.

"Along with the addition of having a relationship with the son of the Chesire Cat. Who acts more like a criminal than you do."

Maddox brought Red's dating life with Carmine since he was her boyfriend and they shared similar things that involved going against the rules and painting everything in different types of colors. Just as he said that Carmine appeared behind the inventor with his Chesire smile which took him by surprise at how quiet he could be when he wanted to be hidden.

"I always find it numerous that the son of the Mad Hatter isn't exactly 'mad'. I mean you should jump around on tables, throw spoons and pots into the wall, and most importantly. Having refreshments for guests."

The boy brought about how Maddox was different from his father since he was responsible for helping create the Queen's devices to that of its security to keep her kingdom protected. With that being said and sounded like a challenge, Maddox pressed a button on the side of his machine that popped out a tray of cookies for Red. The hooded boy said nothing as he took a sit by the princess so he could enjoy the snacks.

"There are two definitions of mad. One is always being angry and everything with or without a reason, and the other mad. Is flat-out mad that needs an excuse, but not you Red. You, are trouble."

Maddox informed Red that there were many reasons to be mad in Wonderland using it to make a living out of it. Red's method of mad was tormenting her mother when she was cutting her favorite roses, smashing priceless vases, and ruining the new portrait that was over the garden. The smile on Red's face went away it was true that she was upset with her mother for how she groomed her to be the future replacement of the Queen of Hearts.

"I'm just letting my aggression on the fact that I don't want to rule Wonderland like my mother. I have to lead a bunch of knights who'll paint the town red to try and appease me. I don't want to do that, all I want is to just have a life, not be forced to have one."

Responded about how she didn't desire the throne as well as to be feared by the people of Wonderland since they were fond of her mother. Maddox felt her sorrow since he knew how difficult it was to be the daughter of a dangerous woman, despite how Red thought of the Queen of Hearts as well as acting cruelly to everyone around her. She wasn't always heartless.

"We're all products of our past. Even your mother who wasn't all cruel, what matters is how we change ourselves in the future. That's what is important."

Teaching her a lesson on becoming a better person no matter where they lived and how they were raised. Red didn't believe it much but looked outside to see how the kingdom was a prison to herself and everyone within it served her mother. Carmine looked at the Hatter and expressed to him about trying to make Red happy again since it wasn't a good thing to make the princess of a terrible queen upset.

"Speaking of the past and future. There's something I want to show you both, a secret project that I've been working on for a whole year. So whatever happens, do not. Tell your mother."

The inventor informed Red and Carmine about a secret device he had been developing as it caught their attention Maddox brought them over to a small corner of the room where he had a curtain hiding something private and personal. Dramatically removing the veil, the two teenagers were staring at an ordinary pocket watch that appeared to have been bought at the White Rabbit's clock store.

"A pocket watch. Finest work yet, it'll change the face of Wonderland itself. Who knows? Maybe you'll be knighted."

Carmine teases the Hatter as Red yanks his tail on trying to be impressive since she didn't think it was amazing but that didn't mean they should criticize his work. Maddox smirked at how the feline was fooled by its appearance, especially how he pressed the top of the cover to show what looked like a digital set of coordinates that were for days, weeks, and years.

"It's a time machine. A special device that can take you to any point in time where your heart desires, and give it to you."

Explaining how powerful the watch is as the explanation made Red and Carmine now invested in it since the possibilities were endless. Noticing the glimmer in their eyes, the Hatter kept them away due to another fact that needed to be said about the watch.

"But this did not happen over one night. I've been having dreams of calculations, theories, and mathematics about making this object. I don't know why I made it, but I know it was for a reason. And not to be used carelessly, because even if one little mistake was made. It can affect everything in more ways than one, for better or worse."

Warning them that he didn't plan on making the device on purpose but was forced to do it. As if he was told in his sleep to create it without any reason, but all that Red could think of was changing her life with it. Maddox took the watch and decided to see if there was anything else he could improve on it. What he didn't expect was to be hugged by Red from behind since it had been a long time since he was given one by the princess.

"Thanks for showing us the watch. And looking after me, can't say there haven't been many people doing that during my childhood."

She expressed her gratitude for how he was the only adult who looked after her safety when she was growing up in the castle. He was like an uncle that she never expected to want due to how dangerous her family was. The moment was interrupted when the guards were checking out the tower and were close to the Hatter's lab.

"I'd say it was a pleasure but you must leave. Otherwise, it's off with my head. See you in the morning princess."

Maddox made a quick goodbye to Red before moving to the side and pressing his sleeve which showed a secret escape route that would take her back to her room. Looking at the Chesire boy to see if he'd enter, Carmine smirks at him before using his hood to disappear in thin air and showing off his smile to him. With the two teenagers gone and the guards appearing to see if anyone was around, Maddox hoped that the small visit Red had with him could help with how she could be different from her mother, while also being careful at the same time.


Later-Red's Room

There were many secret passages that the Queen of Hearts had requested Maddox to create in the small likelihood of a coup happening in her kingdom. She only used them to get around the castle fast and to get the best meals before anyone else did, Red had her own passageway that allowed her to deliver her right into her room without making a sound. Dropping out of the ceiling and landing on top of her bed, Red looked frustrated at how Maddox had the last word before giving her the slip.

"I told you to not call me Princess, Hatter!"

She shouted at the entrance before it closed up and made it appear to look like an ordinary ceiling. Groaning at how she returned to her room, Red leaned against her pillows to think about the advice Maddox had given her on being a better person in the future than looking back in the past.

"You took it, didn't ya?"

A voice spoke from above as Red noticed a smile appearing and Chesire reappearing in midair before landing on the side of Red's bed and looking curious at what she had taken back at Maddox's lab. Trying to not look guilty, Red pulls out from her pocket the pocket watch that he'd warned them not to use.

"Can you blame me? It's a one-way ticket to fixing everything, how my mom acts. How she treats the kingdom, maybe even learning about my father who been gone for my entire life."

She explained how the pocket watch could help with changing how her life was and change if she used the watch. While the temptation was strong to test out the watch and see if there was a way to travel back in time, there was another thing that Red didn't think of if she planned on using the device.

"What about us?"

Carmine brought up their relationship if Red plans to travel back in time to change how her mother was, it could result in losing Carmine and meber meeting him. Taking a moment to think about it and seeing how nervous he was about the idea, the princess puts away the pocket watch and allows him to sit by her side to avoid arguing about the danger of time travel.

"Remember how we first met? Back in the forest?"

She asked him about how they first met one another when they were kids. Carmine smirked at the memory of how he was merely a cub when he was trying to learn about his camouflaging abilities. More or less how to fool people and smile at strangers whenever they came into the forest.

"It was the same day when your mother was looking for savage animals that would be great for her army. Meanwhile, you were painting the roses red around the place."

Carmine brought up how Red was tasked by her mother to make every rose in the forest red to make it her mother's property. The day was hot and there wasn't any shade for her to find since she'd spent the entire morning painting everything red, it was also the same day when they met one another in secret.

"I remember there was an unnusual flower that looked too bushy and decided to paint it red. Only to see it was your tail, which is still bushy by the way."

Red responded about meeting him in the woods and laughing at how the paint lasted for days until Carmine found a way to remove it. The joke made the cat boy look at his tail to see there were faint strands of red paint on it despite him rubbing it off, though it didn't bother him that much and considered it lucky since he had the chance to meet her.

"It was fun. However, your mom is strict with your dating life and wants you to live loveless and only enjoy the throne. Maybe that's why we started dating."

The Chesire boy brought up how strict Red's life was to be devoted to the throne and have no one but her mother to look after the kingdom. This led to her having a relationship with Carmine since there was another rule that involved befriending wild hybrids was forbidden. Which made it more exciting to become a couple behind the Queen of Heart's back, but the reason why Red fell for him was because he wasn't frightened of her. Taking a look at the pocket watch and feeling unsure of using it to change her mom, could lead to alternating her entire life to that of never meeting Maddox or Carmine.

"Alright. I won't use it. Though it wouldn't be an issue to keep it around to try it out, for protection of course. Plus there's no reason to keep secrets since we're a secret to 'Her Majesty'."

She told him about how they were expert in keeping secrets from the Queen to everyone around them. Agreeing to that notion and hearing someone coming to Red's room, Carmine turned himself invisible while the girl tried to keep herself busy by listening to music with her headphones. Coming in a stumbling fashion, it was a flamingo messenger squawking at Red in a loud fashion before handing her a scroll message. With the pink feathered messenger leaving Red's room, the Cheshire boy reappeared as he was curious about what Red was given.

"Guess will have to cut our time short. Mom's going to have a fit with the captain about the vandalism that happened in the garden."

Red shows him how the news has already reached her mother and she was fuming mad. The two said their goodbyes before Carmine sneaked his way out of the room, while also thinking about what she said about them being a secret. Since he hasn't told her about his abilities they are stronger than Red thought since he was able to travel to Auradon and meet the orange-skin VK. Meanwhile, Red who prepared herself for bed continued to look at the pocket watch thinking about the opportunity she could with it. Not knowing that messing with the laws of time always had consequences, no matter how small it would be.