Chapter Text
It’s only been a few days since Red and Chloe have come back from the past, and Red’s sure it’ll take more for her to feel truly at home.
It’s not like she doesn’t appreciate finally having a loving mother, but it’s not like she’s used to having one either. How would you feel if your mother, who used to hate you, suddenly calls you all the time to share a cupcake recipe or notify you of the latest Wonderlandian happenings? Out of whack, she can tell you.
But despite all of that, after her experiences, she can find herself growing to like her mother. It’s funny, considering that she thinks that the old her would have acted like she did, but harbored malice in her heart like she’d been taught to do. Now, that’s not the case, and she can attribute it to one Chloe Charming.
It’s not like they ever outwardly addressed it with an intervention or something, but it was known between the two of them that Chloe had changed Red. Not through her own will, of course, but through absorption. When you’re around kind people, that kindness reflects towards you, she thinks. It makes more sense than a complete 180 waking up one random day, doesn’t it?
Even so, she knows that Chloe has changed her. Red knows she’s more open to things now, like eating ice cream, or giving someone a second chance, or not vandalizing property (that last one was the hardest of all).
And as she wakes up today, looking at the bed beside her with a sleeping Chloe breaking the sound barrier, she realizes that there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.
Getting ready and packing her bag for her classes, she notices her phone ring again. The contact name? Bridget. This odd new version of her mother put them on a first name basis. The old Queen of Hearts would have demanded her full royal title, or it would be off with her head! Actually, she’d never do that. She was much too full of herself and carrying on her legacy that she wouldn’t think of killing Red. And… Red shouldn’t be thinking of that as something so casual. As Chloe said once, “Red, you have some serious intimacy issues.” That was something to file for later, though, as she noticed Chloe sitting up in bed, waking up.
“Red? Are you there?” Chloe yawns, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
“Of course, bluey. I was waiting for you to wake up, it's Saturday.”
Chloe looks confused. “Why… is that important? Did I miss something?”
“Of course! You have to pay for my ice cream! The parlor opens early on Saturdays. It’s nine o’clock now,” Red says, pointing to the clock, “so if you get ready by nine-thirty we’ll be able to make it for the Saturday Scoop Special, remember? Before eleven, get three scoops for seven?”
Chloe sighs. Whilst Red was speaking, she had started to get ready for the day herself, picking out what she was going to wear and tossing it on her bed. “Can’t you pay for your own ice cream? You’re literally the crown heir to Wonderland. Just ask your mom!”
Red frowns at that, and Chloe winces, remembering that Red’s probably still not used to the new circumstances she’s in. Five days isn’t that much time for someone to adjust from having a murderous maternal figure to a sweet-as-sugar mom. “Sorry. You should head down to the cafeteria and put something in your stomach before you fill it to the brim with ice cream. Just give me fifteen minutes.”
Seeming to get over the comment fairly quickly, Red agrees. Chloe’s a bit surprised that all it took was a promise of ice cream.
– –
In front of the aptly named ‘Once Upon a Scoop’, Red taps her feet down in excitement, knowing her sweet treat was just a moment away. Looking at the line, she sees it whittle down until she’s in front of the cashier.
Anastasia, whom she recognizes as Ella’s formerly evil stepsister, greets her with a warm smile. “Hi, Red! I knew you’d be back. The usual, two scoops of Raspberry Ripple, and one Cherry Jubilee? Sandwiched, just the way you like, with an extra helping of strawberry syrup?”
“...And blue sprinkles.” Red mumbles.
Anastasia chuckles. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you. I know. I just wanted to see whether you’d correct me or not. I’m also glad I was able to distract you before I had your order ready.” Anastasia hands Red a bowl with their logo on it, before ringing her up and sending her off to the table where Chloe was waiting, tapping idly on a game on her phone.
“Bluey? Hello? Are you in outer space?” Chloe still didn’t hear her. Red sighed. “Guess the lights are on, but nothing’s home.” Red sat down and started eating her ice cream. She liked it sandwiched like this so the top scoop would melt and coat the second in its flavor. It tasted better that way, much to Chloe’s dismay as she always made a mess.
Suddenly, Chloe blinked to life. “Oh, Red! You’re here. Wait… I have to pay. Stay here!” She scrambled to grab her wallet, rushing to her aunt.
Red chuckled to herself. There’s nobody like Chloe. Never has been, never will be. She thinks she likes it that way.
– –
It’s certainly been an eventful day. And it’s only Saturday, too. At the ice-cream store, they planned a beach day. There aren’t beaches in Wonderland, though, since it’s land-locked. So Red doesn’t think she’s ever seen a beach. But Chloe’s told her tales about how the sand sneaks between your toes and the waves crash over your head, and nothing can ever feel better.
That got her pretty excited. Hopefully it’s not a letdown. But she knows it won’t. Even if it’s terrible, at least Chloe’s there with her. (Somehow, that makes her heart flutter a tad bit more than normal.)
Crashing back into her bed, spread out like a starfish, she looks up at her canopy. The her in this timeline seemed to have had a bunch of new experiences, and be more organized, too– there was a plan on how she’d organize her room.
She tried her best to follow it, but a tear comes to her eye every time she sees the picture clips of a smiling, five year old Red and a Bridget that had never had an evil thought in her life. Is it bad that she’s still mad that that wasn’t the mom she had? It’s probably one of those things that’ll never go away. As Chloe always told her, though, it’s sad that her mom was evil in the other timeline, and she didn’t deserve the hands she was dealt in that life. Those words are something she knows she has to keep with her.
Again, her phone rings. It’s Bridget again. She knows her mom is probably worried about her, with the fact that she hasn’t responded to a single message. But she lets it go to voicemail. She doesn’t think she can fake being happy for her mom yet. Or even face her. Maybe someday, but not now. Definitely not now.
And even as she sees Chloe leave the bathroom, her hair frizzed and slightly covering her eyes, she doesn’t feel that much better.
“Red? Is everything alright?” Chloe looks at her, confused. “You’re normally much more energetic and snarky than you are now. You look… deflated.”
“It’s nothing to worry about, princess.” She pretends not to notice the way Chloe smiles at the nickname. “Just that my mom- I guess Bridget? I don’t know what to call her, but she called me. I don’t really know what to do about it, though.”
Chloe ponders it before speaking. “You don’t have to answer her now, okay? What happened to you was a lot. Just because everything is supposed to be fine now doesn’t mean it is. Auradon wasn’t built in a day.”
“That helps. Thanks.” Red still fidgets with her fingers, twirling them as if she’s waiting for Chloe to do something.
“It’s getting late. We should sleep now.” Chloe smooths out her pajamas. They’re blue with white crowns, and they were her favorite back in the old timeline. She’s glad they weren’t lost. “Red, do you need something?
Startled, Red looks up. “Oh, no. I just wanted to ask…”
Chloe hops over to Red’s bed. Cheerfully, she nudges Red’s shoulder. “Spit it out! It’s just me, you know.”
“Can you stay beside me until I fall asleep?”
“Well, sure. I still have a bit of studying to do for Tuesday’s alchemy test.”
“Thanks.” Red climbs into bed, and surprisingly conks out in under five minutes. Chloe watches, smiling all the way. She could get used to this (even for the rest of her life).