Echoes of Wonderland

We're going back

Red's POV

I move the limo to the side of the road so no one in Chloe's family can see, or actually can't see the ghost driver. I get off the car and start pacing, touching my hair and bitting my bottom lip while I'm trying to figure out how to break the news to my blue haired friend.

- Could you stop? You're making me dizzy. - Says Chloe as she crosses her arms and closes her eyes tightly for a few seconds.

- Okay, listen to me. We screwed up. - I tell her with wide eyes and in a serious and hurried tone.

- I think we've stablished that, Red.

- No, listen, okay? His parents met while on the run. They met when they scaped wonderland and then had him. - I look at her directly in the eyes, trying to make myself clear.

- I know, I just told you that like 5 minutes ago. - Chloe says not catching up.

- Okay. Chloe, you're very smart, truly, really clever girl, so I need you to listen carefully to what I'm trying to explain, and stop acting so fucking dumb, alright? - I say, a bit harsh I know, but it's necessary at this point.- His parents met when they scaped from the Queen of Hearts, Queen of Wonderland, not my bubbly new mom Bridget, but Off-with-your-head Queen of Hearts. They scaped. Out the rabbit hole, through the barrier.

Finally, Chloe's eyes widen in realization.

- Oh no, oh no! Red, what have we done!

Finally she came to her senses, realizing that if my mom was never evil, she never became the Queen of Hearts, the rabbit hole was never closed, therefore the driver's parents never scaped, which means they never met. For all we know, he was never born.

- We'll figure it out, okay. We always do. We saved Auradon once, we can do it again. - I say, though I'm not that sure it's true, but I don't want Chloe to lose her mind.

- Oh my god. - Chloe says while staring at nothing but everything at the same time.

- What is it? - I ask worried.

- Red, Evil Stepmother grounded my mom on the night of castlecoming. She didn't go with Bridget.

- She wasn't there. - I say perplexed, realizing what that means.

- I can't exist if my parents never met. - Says Chloe, dissociated.

- Hey, hey, no. Don't go there. Things are following a timeline, we still have some time to fix this.

I try to be tough, I show myself all composed and determined, but I'm scared to the core. I could never lose Chloe, she's my only friend. She gets me, even when we were fighting, she found a way to understand my feelings and relate to my morals, she believes in me, even if no one else does. I need her to stay, I need her to exist, because if she doesn't... No, stop it, don't think about that, she's fine and she will stay that way. I'll make sure of it.

- I've got a plan, come on.

I take Chloe's hand and drag her through the gate, into her house. She looks confused, but doesn't question my actions. She follows me until we're inside the house and then she asks.

- What's your big plan?

- To figure out how much time we've got left. Hurry, look for baby pictures, drawings, anything of yours that you can find from before you were 5 years old. - I start checking drawers, counters and walls for old family pictures, anything that shows Chloe when she was little.

After looking for a while, Chloe becomes desperate. She cannot find anything from before she was 2 years old, no pictures of her mom being pregnant with her, no first birthday, nothing.

- Don't freak out, you're still here, it's not a fast process. It's been two weeks and you're only missing 2 years. - My words are meant for Chloe, but I needed to reassure myself aswell. - Where's your mom?

- In the living room.

We run into the living room, just to find Cinderella reading on a chair.

- Hello girls, what's all the fuzz about? - Says the Queen, looking up from her book to meet two worry faces.

- Hi mom.

- Hey miss mom, I mean, ma'am. - Did I just get nervous talking to Chloe's mom? what the heck. Stay focus.

- Oh, please Red, your mom and I have been friends for ages, call me Ella. - Her voice is very southing, calming. That makes me feel a little better.

- Hi Ella. Nice to see you. - I respond with a soft smile.

- Now, tell me, what brings you here today, huh?

- Well, mom, Red wanted to come here and have dinner with us today, you know, get to know a bit more of our family. - Chloe trails off and I interrupt her.

- Yeah! That's right, like for example, how you and your husband met. - Straight to the point, we don't have much time.

- Oh my sweet Prince, well, my sweet King now. I was so lucky, wasn't I? - Cinderella responds, kind of avoiding the question.

Chloe and I looked at each other with worried faces, I know Chloe is getting overwhelmed with all of this, so I try again.

- You so were! I would love to hear the story of how you guys fell in love, see some wedding pictures... Oh! And how you felt when you found out you were having Chad!

- Who? - Ella asks dumbfounded. Oh no, this is bad.

- Chad? My older brother Chad. Blonde hair, big smile, small brain? - Chloe intervenes. This is really getting on her nerves, I can tell by the way she speaks and moves.

Cinderella laughs, as if what Chloe just said is a made up joke.

- Don't be silly, honey. It's always been just us. You, your father and I.

Chloe runs out of the room. I excuse myself and follow her upstairs into her room. She bursts into tears. I get it, she's scared, I am too, this feels way out of our league, but we have to try, this is literally the fight of our lives, well, at least it is for Chloe's life.

- She forgot Chad, she will forget me in no time, they all will. - Says the blue haired girl with tears streaming down her cheeks. - I don't know how to fix this Red, you're my only chance, the only one that knows what's going on, please, help me.

I fell my eyes watering at the sight of Chloe being so vulnerable. She doesn't deserve this, maybe I do, I'm not a good person, even though I try. I wish I could take her place, free her of this pain. How can I help her?
I walk towards Chloe and pull her into a hug, she's surprised by the affectionate gesture, and honestly, I am too. I start to feel weird and a bit awkward, but soon enough she reciprocates the hug, putting her arms around my waist tightly. After a few seconds, she stops crying.

- I thought you weren't a hugger. - Chloe says pulling away, with a grin on her face.

- I'm not. I was trying to suffocate you so you'd stop crying, and oh, look! It worked. - I said sarcastically and she gets it this time.

- What are we going to do, Red? - She asks concerned.

- I think we're going back.

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Back with a new chapter, a little sweeter this time. Hang on! This will burn slow...
#glassheart❤️🩵