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CHAPTER SIXTEEN; KNEE DEEP IN INSANITY
Author's Note; there's a flashback scene in here from when Sage was in Wonderland. When it comes to anything Wonderland related, I will be taking stuff from Once Upon A Time in Wonderland, the original animated movie, and the Tim Burton remake. Just letting you guys know.
"It is so great that you are back."
Sage smiled cheerfully as she gently grasped Belle's hand, squeezing tightly. A day has passed since the three women's return from the Enchanted Forest and to say Sage was glad to be home was an understatement. Storybrooke welcomed them back with open arms and were throwing a party in honor of them. But before Sage heads to the party, she payed a visit to Gold, who surprisingly had Belle with him. Belle was once his maid before the curse and were friendly acquaintances with Sage. Her and Sage were probably the only people in this entire town that still saw some good in Gold. Turns out, Belle didn't kill herself back in the Enchanted Forest. During the curse, Regina locked her up in an insane asylum for twenty-eight years. It disgusted Sage to think Belle was locked up for such a long time, all because of Regina. While yes, Regina did save her and the two others yesterday, it didn't erase all the red in her ledger.
Both Belle and Sage sat across from each other in Gold's pawnshop, smiling brightly at one another. "It's great to be back." Belle responded, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. She was still a bit overwhelmed by the new world that surrounded her. Storybrooke was polar opposite to her home. In the modern world, there was technology and new fashion and social politics. While Belle did find this world fascinating, it scared her half to death.
"It must have been awful." Sage replied softly, frowning at her friend, "Being locked up in that place for nearly three decades."
Belle reassuringly tightened her hold on Sage's hand, trying to show she was now okay, "I made it through."
A smile twisted on Sage's lips, "You always do."
As the girl's laughter manifested through-out the shop, Gold reappeared from the backroom, walking smoothly towards them with his cane, "As much as I hate to intrude this little conversation, I need a moment alone with Sage. If you don't mind Belle." His voice was gentle and soft, a tone Sage rarely heard him use.
"Don't at all." Belle blushed, standing up and patting her dress. On her way towards the back of the shop, Sage smirked at the brunette and wore a look that said he's totally head over heels in love with you. Once Belle was gone, Rumpelstiltskin leaned against the counter and looked at Sage without his usual brooding stare, "I believe an apology is in order, Sage. I'm deeply sorry that I tried to kill you and the two others at the well."
Sage held up her hand, stopping the man, "It's fine, Rumple. I know you and I know you had your reasons. Trust me, if I was in your position, I probably do anything in my power to get rid of Cora."
"You were always the one to understand." He softly smiled, before returning to his firm expression. "Emma's informed me about the power that brews inside of her. She says she was able to stop Cora from taking her heart. Is that true?"
The honey haired women rapidly nodded, "Yes, it's true! I saw it with my own eyes."
"I see." He nodded, pausing for a small moment. "Which got me thinking if you had possessed any powers."
Sage's eyebrows rose to her hairline as she scoffed, "Excuse me?"
"Well, Ms. Chamberlain, you and I are both vividly aware that your mother possessed magic." He continued with a sly grin, "Which got me to thinking if you had any magic genetically given' to you."
This time, Sage was completely silent. Her mind wandered back to the moment when she first arrived in the Enchanted Forest, after she was sucked into the clock's portal. There was an Orge and somehow Sage was able to blast him back using some kind of force. At the time, Sage tried to not think about it and convince herself something opposite of the obvious. "So...it's possible that ― "
"Yes, Sage, you have magic."
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When Mary Margaret, Sage, and Emma walked into Granny's diner, they were welcomed with an uproar of cheers and laughter. A surprise smile appeared on Sage's lips, completely shocked that so many people would be at the welcome back party that was dedicated to the three women. She glanced towards the wall and saw a colorful banner hanging up, saying 'Welcome Back Mary Margaret, Emma, and Sage'. It brought a spark of joy to all of them.
Ruby came running over, eagerly developing both Mary Margaret and Sage into strong hugs. "I wasn't worried a bit." The werewolf teased, grinning from ear to ear.
Mary Margaret chuckled, "We can tell."
When the three pulled away, Sage turned on her heel and saw Archer, also known as Dr. Hopper, standing there with his arms open. "We all missed you, Sage." He said as she gladly hugged him.
"I miss everyone too." Sage admitted and it was true. If she was to compare the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, she would delightfully say that Storybrooke was where she wanted to stay. Dealing with an evil Queen from her past and fighting resurrected zombies weren't exactly something Sage hoped to be dealing with on a daily basis. The thought of a certain pirate was sinking back into Sage's head, but she continuously tried to push him out, not wanting to remember all the things that pirate had said to her. It would just bring back all the guilt.
"Tacos?"
Sage perked up and turned around at the sound of fresh food. She watched as Emma handed Granny a tray of tacos. "I cannot tell you the relief of cooking something that I didn't have to kill first."
"Don't I know it." Granny retorted back, smiling. "Meatloaf back home, what a bitch!"
David, who stood on the opposite side of the room and in front of the crowd, used a small fork to clink the glass of beer he had in his hand. Before he began to speak, Sage walked over to Henry, wrapping an arm around the ten year old. In return, Henry looked up and smiled, leaning into Sage's warm touch. "I just wanted to, uh, thank you all for joining us tonight. Mary Margaret and I – we have a saying that we will always find each other. And, while I believe that with all my heart, I'd like you all to raise your glasses and join me when I say – Here's to not having to look for a while." Everyone laughed, raising their jugs of beer in the air. "To Mary Margaret, Emma, and Sage!"
As soon as everyone repeated David's mantra and started to chug down their brewing alcohol, the doorbell ringed as someone walked in. That someone being the one and only Regina Mills, who held a large tray of food in her arms. Everyone's cheers immediately died down once their eyes landed on her. "Sorry, I'm late." She awkwardly apologized, attempting to smile.
Leroy wasted no time in grabbed a kitchen knife and held it in his hand, "What is she doing here?" He hissed venomously, like Regina was some sort of disease or something.
"I invited her!" Emma snapped back, causing her parents to grow more shocked. Sage, on the other hand, was not surprised. Emma informed the honey-blonde earlier that she was considering inviting Regina, to thank her for saving their lives yesterday. Sage didn't mind all that much, since they couldn't exactly cut her out of their lives forever. For God sakes', she's Henry's mother.
As Regina avoided the conflict and placed her food on the counter, Emma's parents pulled their daughter away from the crowd, angrily arguing with her. Sage decided not to join in. This was probably the one easy and simple night she's had in the past few weeks. She wanted to enjoy it, without the family drama. She walked over and sat next to Henry, ruffling the kid's brown hair in a playful manner. "Thanks for coming, Regina." She softly said, offering the former Queen a smile.
Shockingly enough, Regina smiled back. "Thank you for having me, Sage. Lasagna?"
"Yes, please!" Sage nearly moaned at the sound of properly cooked food. Back in the Enchanted Forest and in Wonderland, electricity wasn't involved in their lifestyle. So, the food was either hunted or it came from the ground, which didn't sound as bad.
"Oh, I made lasagna!" Regina said as Leroy came over, scouting out the food.
But the dwarf was not as friendly as Sage was. He simply scoffed at the offer. "What's the secret ingredient? Poison?"
"Red pepper flake." Regina's face went hard like steel, obviously not tolerate of the dwarf's bad attitude. "It gives it a kick!"
Sage nudged Leroy's arm, her mouth half way stuffed with Regina's delicious lasagna. "Be nice, Leroy. The last thing I want to do is to steal that ax of yours and use it against you!"
Leroy huffed and groaned, but walked off with a plate of lasagna in his hands. After that, everything went smoothly. No one was fighting or arguing. There were no conflicts, making the place kind of peaceful. Nearly an hour went by and Sage had to admit, she was enjoying herself. The reformed thief couldn't remember a time where she was this contempt and in harmony. Then again, her and the two others just faced the Queen of Hearts, so it was nice to have a day off.
Sage still sat next to Henry at the counter, on her second plate of Regina's pepper flaked lasagna. Regina was a lot of things, but damn, she knew how to cook. Sage sipped on her drink, looking at Henry. "So, kid, have you been holding the place down while I've been gone?"
The kid chuckled. "Yep, David even taught me how to sword fight!"
"Really? Well, we'll have to test your skills out some time." Sage laughed, before growing slightly serious, "Did you, uh, ever see Jefferson, or meet the guy?"
"Yeah, I saw him with his daughter Grace." Henry watched carefully as Sage let out a long breath of relief, looking seemingly happy. "He looked pretty happy."
A weak smile quirked on the ends of Sage' lips. "Good, that's good."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Sage looked over her shoulder to see Regina making her way out of the diner, looking both bored yet sad. Emma and Sage's eyes met from across the room, both speaking silently as they got up from their seats. Sage muttered something to Henry, before her and Emma hurried out of the diner, quick to catch up with Regina. The cold air hit Sage like a punch, but neither her or Emma slowed down their pace.
"Archie made a cake!" Emma abruptly said, catching Regina's attention. The mayor spun on her heels, looking at the two women with confusion. The blonde continued, "You don't want to stay for a piece?"
"It's chocolate, or vanilla, or whatever crickets eat." Sage awkwardly added, not knowing how else to persuade the former Queen into coming back to the party. She was well aware that the rest of the party guests were not be thrilled to have Regina there, but she also knew that Henry was more than happy to have his mom socializing and being good towards everyone.
"I'm fine, thank you." Regina politely declined, not wanting to sit through another hour of watching people share hateful glances and whisper venomous things about her. But it wasn't like she expected any less, considering she was nicknamed the Evil Queen.
"Alright." The two women shared a look, before both of them turned around and began to walk away. Just before they could reach the front door and re-enter the party, Regina stopped them.
"Wait! Uh, thank you!"
Emma looked at her funny, "Um, you already said that."
"No, for inviting me." The odd part was the honesty that was laced into Regina's words and sewed into her expression.
"Henry wanted it." Sage explained, smiling softly. "We're both glad you and him got to spend some time together."
"Me, too. I'd like to see him more." Hope flashed on her face, lighting up a gleam in her dark eyes. "Maybe you both can consider letting him stay over some time. I have his room just waiting for him."
Sage opened her mouth, but Emma beat her too it. "I-I don't think that's best."
The reformed thief's eyes immediately snapped to Emma, widening slightly. Right now, Sage was in a battle between herself. A part of her said that Regina had every right to see her son, but another part of her said that Regina didn't deserve too, considering her jealousy and fear nearly got Henry killed. It seemed that Regina didn't liked Emma's answer either. "Because you know so much about parenting in the five minutes you've been with him. Talk to David. At least he took care of him while you were away. Like I did, during the ten years you were away the first time." Her words were harsh and toxic, meant to shoot arrows into Emma's heart.
Emma was no longer playing nice and neither was Sage, "You have no right to judge Emma after all the crap you've done, your majesty!" Sage hissed angrily. When she tried to take a step forward towards Regina, Emma placed a hand on her elbow and held her back.
A moment after Sage's outburst, Regina seemed to be washed over by regret. "You're right, I'm sorry. Emma, I'm sorry. Snapping at you – I shouldn't have done that. Will you accept my apology?"
"Okay. You're right. Archie said you were trying to change. And, well, you are ― "
Regina's lips lowered into a frown, "Dr. Hopper said I was trying?"
By the look in her eyes, Sage could tell Regina wasn't exactly enthusiastic about Dr. Hopper spilling about her attempt at redemption. Sage tried to stop Emma from continuing, but was too late. The words were spilling out of the blonde's mouth in rapid fire. "He said you came to see him. That you're trying not to use magic, that you're trying to be a better person. You understand, I was hesitant to invite you. I asked him, and he thought it was a good idea."
"Thank you, it was. I should be going." Now completely finished, Regina walked away with permanent sorrow written on her face. Sage watched as the former Queen walked away into the darkness of the night, leaving both women out in the cold. Sage let out a string of huffs and continued to wonder how the hell her life became so complicated.
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Sage silently groaned, reaching up and rubbing her sore shoulder as she entered her and Mary Margaret's loft. It might as well be called the "Charming" residence, considering the fact that David, Emma and Henry were now rooming with them. Maybe it was the exhaustion gradually taking over her body, or the newfound stress that was wavering in her brain, but Sage's entire body was aching. The party was still going on at Granny's, but Sage quietly and politely told everyone she would have to leave earlier. The excuse was that she was tired and in need of a proper rest. It wasn't technically a lie, considering Sage could feel the desire of sleep tugging at her brain. The conflict between Emma and Regina, the two mothers who deeply loved Henry, was still constant in her thoughts. Now that Storybrooke was pausing from their fairytale problems, all the focus seemed to be on Henry and which mother was going to take care of him.
Back at the diner, when Emma and Sage were confronting Regina, Sage desperately wanted to blurt out that both mothers were wrong! Both of them needed to learn how to co-parent with each other. It definitely wasn't impossible, but it would be difficult considering one mother is the Evil Queen and the other is the Savior. Knowing Henry, he doesn't want both his mom's biting each other's heads off, but instead attempting to get along with each other. Under any other circumstance, Sage would be weary of Regina being in charge of Henry. But she was making an effort to change, to become a somewhat decent person, which was good enough for Sage. But Sage was no idiot, she didn't trust Regina at all. But she also knew Regina would never hurt Henry, well, intentionally.
At the same time, Sage agreed with Emma in some aspects. Henry nearly died, because of Regina's insane jealousy and fear of Emma taking him away from her. If it wasn't for Emma, Henry could still be dead right now. Sage solemnly walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Her bedroom wasn't much, just a simple bed, wooden closet, and a nightstand. A few pictures were framed as well, sitting on the small table. Emma's bedroom, where her and Henry were staying in, were connected to Sage's. Luckily, a wall and a door were separating the two.
Sage sat on the edge of her bed, gently slipping off her shoes. Once those blasted boots were off her feet, the girl pulled her knees to her chest and rubbed her sock-covered feet, massaging her throbbing feet. A heavy sigh left her lips as she tried to come to terms with how her life has changed so much. It felt like yesterday she was a thief trying to mend her broken heart, yet still finding time to steal and rob random strangers. Now, she was a deputy of an entire town, with a surrogate family and a little brother who cared so deeply for her.
Sage Chamberlain was fictional; a character in a book. But Sage McCartney wasn't real either; she was simply a fabrication from Regina's twisted mind. Sage, the real Sage, was still deciding who she wanted to be, if that made any sense. Her eyes seemed to drift over to her closed closet door. The pocketwatch, that was still hanging around Sage's neck and probably wouldn't come off any time soon, came from her closet. The storybook that Sage gave to Henry months and months ago came from her closet. She was beginning to wonder what else was in her closet.
Ever since the curse was broken and Sage was gradually remembering everything about her original life, she began to wonder if any of her stuff was returning. The clock came back so it was quite possible that...something else came back. Pushing herself up from the bed, Sage walked over and opened the closet, getting down on her knees so she could search. After a minute or two of searching, Sage was finding nothing, causing her heart to drop down into her stomach. She was hoping to find something of her old life, someone meaningful. Just when the reformed thief was about to give up and slip into bed, her hands gazed over something hard, something hidden beneath dirty clothing. When Sage yanked the object out of clothes, it was not what she expected.
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Sage gently whispered as her finger gazed over the bold words that were imprinted on the blue cover. A picture of a little girl with a hare and a man wearing a top hat was below the title. "Written by Lewis Carroll."
Against all her better judgement, Sage decided to give into her curiosity and open the book, skimming over the words and pictures. So, this is how her story was portrayed? As a children's fantasy. Sage looked back at her life in Wonderland, how she grew up in a world surrounded by utter madness.
It's a lot darker than what the books show.
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Grey smoke clouded the field, while the ghostly white mist coated the grassy ground beneath her feet. The full moon, completely round and pearly white, hung in the dark sky, but was able to slightly brighten' the field. In the distance, Sage could see the shadows of the large oak trees that were scattered around the area. Straight ahead, about forty yards ahead, was a tall, broken down windmill. The wings of the windmill were bent and out of shape, yet all four wings slowly and creepily spun in a circle.
As Sage walked down the small hill and continued down the path, the site ahead of her was becoming clearer and clearer. Music gradually became louder as Sage walked down the path. The sound was of Victorian-styled classical music, flowing out of the horn of an old record player. Once the mist and smoke began to clear, Sage could finally see clearly. In front of her was a site she was all too familiar with; the Mad Hatter's tea party. A bunch of tables of all shapes and sizes were lined up together in a straight line, all covered by one long white tablecloth. There were only two people sitting at the long table. Jefferson, the Mad Hatter, sat at the head of the table, while the March Hare sat at one of the sides.
The March Hare was, obviously, a hare. His ears were long and crooked, one of them pointing upward and the other pointing down. His fur coat was a light grey with some white on his cheeks, eyebrows, and the top of his head. March's eyes were a bright yellow and nearly bulging out of his sockets. The March Hare was just slightly more mad than Jefferson.
Just slightly.
Jefferson was moving his fingers like he was a composer, directing an entire orchestra. The March Hare was practically shaking in his chair, his golden eyes darting from one thing to another. "A very merry unbirthday! To who? To me! A very merry unbirthday!" Jefferson sang, followed by the March Hare who was trying to keep up.
"And whose unbirthday is it today?" Sage loudly questioned, crossing her arms as she looked at the two. A soft, gentle smile quirked on her lips.
"Sage! We were just waiting for you!" Jefferson announced, flailing his arms up in excitement, before dropping them onto the table, causing it to shake.
She chuckled, "Nice to know I'm welcomed."
The thief walked alongside the rows of tables, before sitting down at an old rocking chair, diagonal from Jefferson. Sage's eyes scanned the row of tables, counting all the items that were messily placed. Tea cups, glass plates, sugar, and whatever else you would need for a tea party were all here, some damaged and others not.
Sage grabbed a tea cup that was half filled with a honey-colored liquid, "Jeff, what kind of tea is this?"
"Oh, chamomile tea! Made from daisies!" He exclaimed, sipping on the tea with his pinky up in the air. Sage took the time to take in Jefferson's appearance; his hands were wrapped in colored fabrics, a blue velvet coat was covering his tunic, and he was wearing mismatched shoes. His top hat, which was black with scarfs wrapped around it and a white card with 10/6 imprinted on it, was planted on his head, as per usual.
"Good, wouldn't want to see pink elephants again..." Sage quietly confessed, taking a timid sip of the tea. The last time she had tea, it was spiked was something and Sage ended up with a massive hangover the next day.
"Look out! Look out! Pink Elephants on parade! Here they come, hippety hoppety!" The March Hare quivered and quaked in his seat, rocking back and forth with a deranged look in his eyes. Suddenly, he stop and began to observe a bottomless tea cup. "They're here and there..."
As the March Hare began to quietly sing himself back to insanity, Sage looked around with furrowed brows. "Where's Dormouse?"
Jefferson's eyes widened as he grabbed the tea kettle and snatched off the top, "In his little home of course"
Sage looked inside the cracked kettle and saw a little mouse sleeping at the bottom. A tiny blue umbrella was beside him. "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat..." The Dormouse hummed as he slept, soft snores leaving him.
More manic laughter came from the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. They weren't laughing at anything, just at themselves. When Jefferson was focused on putting sugar in his tea, Sage looked at him with a worried frown. This couldn't be it. This couldn't be his life. He was so happy when he had his daughter. Now, he spends his day drinking tea and creating hats. He was a prisoner in his own mind and Sage suspected he would stay that way for the rest of his life.
"What's the time?" The March Hare questioned, breaking Sage out of her thoughts. Sage blinked and nodded as she tugged the pocket-watch she was wearing out of her corset. Before Sage could tell the March Hare, Jefferson abruptly leaned forward and stared at the pocket-watch she had given' Sage all those years ago. Sage watched him, but as she did, she saw something different. It wasn't madness, or lunacy, or anything else along that line. She saw the familiar gleam of light she saw in Jefferson when she first met him. It was a tiny drop of sanity that was still swirling in Jefferson's heart.
And within that blink of sanity was a flash of hope.