"I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then."

~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

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Alice's P.O.V

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"Wait. So, you're telling me that all the stories are true? That all of the fairytales and all of its characters are real?"
I bite my bottom lip as I contemplate how I'll be able to convince the two girls in front of me that I'm not crazy. "To sum it all up, yes, all of them are real, but not all of their stories are how we thought they were."

"So this, Peter dude, he was your boyfriend?" Jo asks.
"Soulmate." I correct. "But that's not the point. I swear, I'm not crazy, and I didn't just make everything up."
Jo reaches across the table, placing her hands over mine. "No one's saying you're crazy, I've known you for almost two years and of you say it's real, then it's real."
Tia nods in agreement. "I'm with your friend on this one."

I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that I won't have to worry about convincing them that I'm sane anymore.
"Actually, I've seen quite a number of things in the time I've been in Storybrooke, so fairytales being real doesn't surprise me," Tia says. "Like for example, did you know that Mr Gold, the owner of the pawnshop, is actually a powerful sorcerer named Rumpelstiltskin?"

"And you've known that how long exactly?" I ask.
"Since I stepped foot into his last week," Tia replies. "He's a collector of many strange items so it didn't really surprise me to find out that they were magical."
"Why didn't you say anything?" I ask.
"Oh, because that would've been such an easy thing to do," she says sarcastically.

"Hello, Alice, nice weather today, don't you think? Oh, did you know that everyone in this town are characters from different fairytales and our mayor is the evil queen who sent them here?"
"Fair enough."
"So, how are you going to find Cassie?" Jo asks, bringing the conversation back on topic.

"I honestly have no idea," I answer truthfully. "From what I was told, I have to wait until Regina and her family figure out where Emma was taken because that's most likely where Cassie will be."
"But you're not just going to sit around and wait for them to figure it out."
"Of course not," I say. "Which is why I needed to tell you guys, I need all the help I can get."

"Well, I'm definitely going to help you. There's no way I'm going to let you do this all by yourself," Jo states.
Tia nods. "Yeah, you can count me in, too."
"Thanks, guys."
"So, what are you going to do about Will?" Jo asks.
"I don't know." I shake my head. "Ray and the boys are looking for him as we speak but I'm still worried."

"You don't think they'll find him?" Tia asks.
"No, I'm worried what they'll find when they do."
Jo furrows her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, he came back in the middle of the night all bloody and bruised, doesn't that make you the least bit suspicious?"
"You're not suggesting that-?"

I shake my head. "I don't want to think about it."
"Think about what?" Jo asks. "What are you guys talking about?"
Tia sighs, turning to face Jo. "Alice thinks that Will might be in a gang."
"That can't be true. It- It's just can't be."
"That's what I keep telling myself," I say. "I don't what to believe that, but there's too much evidence against him for me to not consider that."

"What does Ray think about all of this?" Jo asks.
"He blames himself." I sigh, rubbing my temples. "He thinks that this could've all be avoided if he didn't abandon Will when he was a child."
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him the truth," I say. "That it isn't his fault and that Will wouldn't push him away if he really needed his help."

"But that's not exactly true, is it?"
"To be honest, Tia, I don't really know anymore. I thought that him meeting you was helping him gain confidence and would help to increase his self-esteem but now I'm not sure what he's doing with his life."
"So did I."
"Wait- Back up a second," Jo says, holding her hand up. "You guys were together? Like, together-together?"

"Kind of," Tia replies. "I mean, we went on a few dates but that's about it."
"You guys went on a date?" Jo exclaims. "Like an actual date?"
"Yeah."
"With my help," I add, raising my hand.
Jo continues talking as if she didn't hear me. "I can't believe Will went on a date with someone. They grow up so fast."

"Well, it appears that some grow up too fast," Tia states.
I nod, looking down at my lap.
"Now that everything's out in the open, let's look for our nerd, shall we?"

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Ares's P.O.V

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"What the hell are you doing?" I demand, shoving him off me.
"We need to talk," he states.
"Couldn't you have just called me?" I ask. "There are easier ways to get my attention."
"I couldn't risk being caught talking to you," he replies.
"Wait, so you're the one who's been sending me those messages?"

"Let's just say that you should listen to them if you don't want Hestia to find out about you and your little schemes."
I take a step forward, grabbing him by the collar like he did to me a moment ago. "Are you threatening me, William?"
His voice doesn't waver. "You can call it whatever you want, but I still meant what I said."

"I didn't come this far to protect my family, only to come this far!" I growl.
"Well, neither did I!" He yells back, trying to loosen my grip on him.
"You don't get to decide anything!" I shout, clenching my fist even tighter. "She's my responsibility. She can't find out!"
"Well, I'm going to tell them whether you like it or not!" he replies with equal malice.

I glare at the younger boy. "Don't make me hurt you like I did Rodriguez."
"I'd like to see you try," Will challenges, his eyes glinting with rage and pure determination.
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." I jerk my wrist down so that the two of us are at eye level. "Combat specialist or not, these are dangerous waters you're swimming in."

"You'll find that I'm not someone you'd like to mess with."
"Neither am I," he replies, glaring back at me. "In fact, you'll find that I can be very dangerous when my family is involved."
"Then you should understand why I wouldn't want her to find out."
"I understand why you don't want Hestia to find out, but what I understand know is why you wanted to do it in the first place.

"You know why," I say. "You just don't want to hear it. You have a master's degree in English Language, surely you of all people should know that there's a fine line between listening and hearing."
"I told you what I thought about your schemes," Will says. "And yet, you still carried them out as if I didn't say anything."
"I had to protect my family."

"That doesn't justify your actions-"
I cut him off. "Oh, because you know so much about justification."
"I did what I had to do."
"Yeah, well, so did I." I let go of him and wait until he takes a step back before continuing. "Everything I've ever done was to survive, and to keep Hestia safe. What part of that can't you get?"

"The killing."

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Ray's P.O.V

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"How are you and Alice?"
My eyes dart to the boy next to me then to Asa and Isaac who are a few feet in front of us. "Lewis, now's not the best time to talk about this."
"Then when should we talk about this?" He asks.
"Preferably after we've found Will," I reply. "And shouldn't that be your main focus? Finding your parabatai."

Lewis narrows his eyes at me. "I hope you're not saying what I think you're saying. Because, if you're implying that I'm not worried about Will then you're mistaken."
"I'm not saying anything," I state. "I'm just pointing out that you should be more concerned about your best friend's well-being."
"I'm not concerned, but not for the reasons you think."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.
"I, unlike you, trust Will," he replies. "I may not be related to him, but I'm his parabatai. I've been with him longer than you have. The difference between you and I is that I know him, and how he thinks."
"So you only agreed to come with me just to lecture me?" I ask.
"Yes. Because we're going to have to address your issues sooner or later."

"What issues?"
"The ones you have with Alice and Will," he says matter-of-factly.
"I don't think that's your problem," I say, annoyed at where this conversation is going.
"Well, I think it is," Lewis stops walking. "Alice and Will are my best friends and I care about them as much as you do, maybe even more than you do."

Lewis then proceeds to walk off, but I grab him by the shoulder before he gets a chance to.
"No one cares about them more than I do," I say, putting extra emphasis on "no one".
"I beg to differ."
I take my hand off his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"
"I heard you guys arguing last night," he replies before I can ask him.

"And I'm with Alice, I don't believe Tia or Will would be in a gang," Lewis says as he walks off.
I stand rooted to the ground for half a second before I finally follow Lewis. "I didn't say that I thought that they'd be in a gang."
"Yes, but you thought it," he counters. "And that's a dangerous thing to think of."
I glare at him. "Listen, Lewis I-"

"What are you boys doing?"

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Alice's P.O.V

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Ray jerks his head to the side at the sound of my voice. "You're supposed to be looking for Will, not arguing among yourselves."
"How'd you-"
"The twins," I reply. "While you boys were arguing, they came to find the girls and I."
"How did they find you so fast?" Lewis asks.
"Granny's Diner is right around the corner," Jo states.

"Oh, well, that explains a lot."
I pinch the bridge of my nose, sighing in exasperation. "Have you even started looking for Will?"
"Of course, we have," Ray snaps.
"Well, where have you guys searched?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips.
"Everywhere but the parking lot across the road," Lewis answers for Ray.

"Well, then what are we waiting for, let's go," Jo says, taking off.
She stops in her tracks, checking to see if we're following her. "Well?"
"You don't know where the parking lot is, do you?" Lewis asks, grinning at his girlfriend.
"Oh, shut up," she scolds. "Just lead the way."
"Yes, Ma'am," Lewis replies, leading the way, the rest of us following them.

"When did Aunty Jo drop by?" One of the twins ask.
"Just this morning, Isaac."
The said boy smiles, then whispers something to his brother.
"Don't get your hopes up, boys," Lewis says over his shoulder. "She didn't bring any sweets."
Their shoulders slump. "Aww."
"What are you guys planning on doing once you find him anyway?" Jo asks.

Her question is met with a tense silence.
What am I going to do when I find him? I can't lock him in his- our room, he knows how to pick a lock.
"I don't see him anywhere," Asa says, jarring me out of my train of thought.
"Do you think he might've left town again?" Jo asks.

Ray shakes his head. "No, he couldn't have. It's a five hour trip to the nearest town, and that's if you take a car."
"Then where could he be?" Issac asks, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
"Well, we tried looking for him on our own, I guess we'll just have to ask the sheriff," Tia says.

"He's busy looking for his daughter, remember?" Ray reminds us. "We're better off on our own anyways."
"Yes, but we need all the help we can get," I point out.
"Earlier today you said that you didn't want to involve the sheriff because him and his family had done enough by letting Cassie get taken away."
I shake my head. "I'm not in the mood to argue."

"Alice, we're going to have to acknowledge our issues sooner or later!" Ray calls out. "Lewis is right, we can't just pretend this isn't happening."
I stop in my tracks, turning around to face Lewis. "You said what?"
He glares at Ray. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Don't go blaming it on me."
I walk off, ignoring Ray as he shouts my name.

I stop running after a few minutes, resting on a bench. I actually expected Ray to run after me, but knowing Lewis, he probably kept Ray from doing so. I place my head in my hands, wiping away the tears in my eyes. I pull my hair, letting out a yell to help release my pent up anger and frustration.
Why do these things always happy me?

First I lost my dad, then I lost Peter, followed by my memories of him and now Cassie's gone. As if that wasn't bad enough the blasted fates just had to make Will go astray. Who knows where he could be right now.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I can't keep breaking down like this, I have to stay strong. For Cassie, and for Peter. They wouldn't want me to be like this.

I wipe my tears away as I stand up.
I don't care what I said about the Charmings' earlier, I need their help.
I begin to cross the road leading towards the Charmings' house but pause when I hear someone shout. I would've missed it entirely if it weren't for all the yelling coming from the same area. I wanted to walk away, but the small voice at the back of my head demanded that I look for the source of the sound.

The sounds progressively get louder and clearer as I decrease the distance between myself and the building. I try to open the door but it's locked, so I place my ear against it to hear what they're saying.
"You once said you'd do anything for your family, why can't you accept that I'm doing the same?" I hear someone yell.
"That's because what you're doing is incredibly stupid and won't help at all," another voice shouts back.

It sounds oddly familiar. Almost like-
I gasp.
It's Will.
I quickly take my phone out of my pocket and dial Ray's number. I don't know why I dialed his number out of all numbers, I just panicked. The line rings twice before he picks up.
"Alice, why are you-"
"I think I found Will."

"Where are you?"
"Two blocks away from the Charmings' house. I'm outside this abandoned apartment, I tried to open the door but it's locked and I don't have my lock-picking kit with me. I think there's someone in there with him and I don't know what to do."
He doesn't respond.
"Ray?" I call out. "Ray, are you still there?"

"I'll be there in five minutes."

****

Sure enough Ray finds me within five minutes and he brought Tia with him. Lewis and Jo are probably in the rental home with the twins.
"Alice, what happened?" Jo asks as they approach me. "Ray just told me that you found Will he didn't say anything about an abandoned building."
I turn to face Ray. "I can't get the door open."

The sound of something heavy hitting wood causes all of us to jump. The yelling resumes after that.
"What was that?" Tia asks, looking at me for answers. "Who's inside with him?"
I have to yell so that she can hear me. "I don't know!"
Ray extends his arms, pushing us aside. "Stay back, I'm going to break the door down."

He backs up a few paces before running towards the door and ramming shoulder against it. The first three times don't seem to do anything, but the hinges start squeaking at the fourth try, only giving way at the sixth try. The three of us quickly file into the room, only stopping at the sight in front of us. A hooded figure stands in the middle of the room, holding on to Will by his collar.

I gasp. "Will!"
The duo immediately stops what they're doing, their attention no longer on their fight but on us. The hooded man doesn't let go of Will. He remains frozen, like in a trance. Tia squints her eyes, pushing past me to get a better look at the hooded figure.
"Ares?"
Only then does the figure lets go of Will, who drops to the floor like a rag doll.

"Will!" Ray exclaims, rushing towards his brother.
I try to peel my eyes away from the hooded figure but I can't, especially when he begins to face us. The hood falls off, revealing his face.
Ares?
The stone cold expression is wiped off his face when he sees Tia.
"Hestia."
Hestia?

"What- What are you doing here?" He stutters, gaping at her. "You're supposed to be at home."
"What am I doing here?" She asks as if she didn't not believe what she just heard. "What are you doing here? You said that you had to run a small errand, not leave town!"
"It was a last minute errand."

"Bullshit!" Tia snaps. "What errand would possibly keep you from answering my calls?"
"Wait a second," I interrupt. "What's going on? I thought your name was Tia, and how do you two know each other?"
The two of them turn to look at me as if they'd forgotten that I was standing there.

"My full name is Hestia Collins," Tia replies. "Ares here is the only one who ever calls me Hestia. And as for how I know him-"
"We're related," Tia and Ares say at the same time.

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Yeah, I know what you guys are thinking, this chapter's title is pretty lame. Idek how to name my chapters anymore, I just thought that it suited the chapter bc Ares and Tia are named after Greek Gods. I hope you guys weren't annoyed by the constant changing of P.O.Vs and me updating this so late

Have you guys watched Dr Strange yet? I watched it with my friend a few weeks ago and I loved it. Dr Strange's personality was almost exactly like Sherlock's that I almost forgot what movie I was watching 😂 speaking of my friend, you guys should totally check out her X-Men imagine book and follow her on Wattpad her account is [-MLWZ-] I kinda forced her to make it (I regret nth btw 😂) so please check out her works. That's all for this A/N, bye guys

~ Alice xx

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You can skip this part is you want

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I recently got my subject combination results back and I'm not sure what to think abt it 😕 I got my second choice, which is Geography, Physics and Principal of Accounts. My plan was so appeal for my first choice, Additional Maths, bc I thought that it'd be the best choice for me but now I don't know if I really want A Maths bc I think I'll be good at it/like it or if I want to be in the best class

My parents told me that they're happy that I got into PoA and that it isn't a bad thing as only 20% of the level are allowed to take that subject and that I might like it, but I'm still not convinced. I don't want to end up doing something that I wouldn't enjoy doing, which is why I'm always scared of making choices (that's probably also the reason why I love the concept of Neverland and never having to grow old)

I'm planning on waiting until the 8th, which is one day before the deadline of the appeal submission so if you guys have any advice please say something.

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Did you guess that Ares and Hestia were related? Bc I kinda dropped subtle, well, not so subtle hints

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Don't ask, I was bored on a Halloween night

Hestia; Goddess of Hearth, Architecture and Domesticity 🔥

Ares; God of War ⚔

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Vote, comment, rate, do whatever you want <3

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