Kingdom Keepers: Once Upon a Dream

Chapter 29

A/N: I'm back!!! Things start heating up in today's chap, and the angst only increases from here on out. So enjoy...relatively speaking. 

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Twenty minutes later, Finn, Amanda, Jess, Wanda and Casey ran into the Ticket and Transportation Center, Disney's main travel hub, to join the other Kingdom Keepers, who were waiting silently by a gift-shop near the parking lot. Finn and Amanda held hands as they approached. The group did not seem to be the same one that they'd seen just the day before. No one was talking. They were hardly looking at each other. They all looked tragic leaning against the edge of poles and sitting on planters.

Philby was the first to approach them, having noticed them nearly the second they left the parking lot.

"Hey," he said, greeting them all. "So what's up?"

Finn leaned past him to address the whole group.

"We found some more clues about Casey's theory: thought we should check them out."

"Oh come on," Maybeck exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and groaning.

All eyes turned to him.

"I thought we decided a week ago that all of this stuff was bullshit!"

"And we also said that it would be good to keep an eye out just in case," Jess argued, jumping on the defense.

"Nothing happened at the Haunted Mansion, and it was never going to! All this is, and all it ever was, is an attempt to protect her feelings."

He pointed at Casey, then crossed his arms. Casey shrunk back, looking hurt. Jess saw this and scowled at Terry as rage boiled in her stomach, her face getting hot. She didn't care what the truth about things was. In her current reality, she'd only just met this guy, and she wasn't about to let him get away with bullying a 15 year old.

She was ready to lunge at him, but Amanda put out a hand to stop her. She looked over at Finn then with a pleading gaze. With every minute that passed, they were running out of time to fix things, and the situation around them was growing worse and worse.

"Listen," he said. "I know something is up in these parks–even though we've never gotten any proof–and I think you all do too; otherwise, you never would've come to Earl of Sandwich three weeks ago, and you wouldn't be here now."

Everyone was silent, but their eyes were locked on Finn. Amanda looked at him with a wide-eyed enchantment of love. This was her Finn, back in front of her as if they'd never left home; he always knew exactly the right things to say.

"I don't care what you think after today," he continued. "I don't care if we never speak to each-other again after this; just give me tonight. I can't tell you how, but I think if you give me tonight, everything's going to get better."

After a moment, Amanda took a step forward and grabbed his hand. He looked at her, exhaled, and she nodded. Soon, Jess too walked up and stood next to them, her mouth in a scared but confident line as she stared at the others. A few seconds passed, but Philby eventually walked forward and stood in front of them.

"I'm with you man," he said, and held out his hand.

Finn smiled and shook it, trying not to cry. The two of them had been through so much together, and oftentimes they'd been more "frenemies" than friends. But now, staring at him in the eyes, Finn saw only one thing: a brother who'd always been the first one to have his back. He missed him.

Philby looked back at Willa who exhaled before standing up from the planter she'd been sitting on.

"I guess one night couldn't hurt," she said, walking over to join them. Philby smiled at her, and she did too, for the first time since they'd gotten there.