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Seeing Chloe pacing around their dorm room, Red tried to see it as calming. “This is a really bad idea Red, what if we do this and it makes Max do something drastic?” Red had similar thoughts but they agreed to do this and they couldn’t turn back now.
“Chloe, it’s just some closure for Max and some answers for us.” Red reasoned, she needed to be the calm one in this situation. If they both started freaking out Max might assume they’re hiding something.
Chloe stopped her pacing and collapsed onto Red’s bed. “I’m sorry. I’m just really worried about how this might turn out.” Red’s nerves were starting to take over, looking for distraction Red began playing with Chloe’s hair. “I think it’s great that you said yes to Max’s idea.” The anxieties and dread were on the tip of Red’s tongue she felt one wrong breath and they would all spill out.
A loud banging on their door made them both jump. “Showtime.” Red’s said. She stood up and reached her hand for Chloe. The blue haired princess tucked her hand into Red’s and together they opened the door. “Aww cute did you two make it official?” Neither princess was excepting Hazel Hook to be accompanying Max. The pirate continued her teasing as she strolled into the dorm with Max trailing behind her. “Well at least you don’t have any competition for Luis.” She sent a wink to Max, he rolled his eyes in response.
“What are you doing here Hazel? This is just for us and Max.” Red spat out, she didn’t want to be harsh towards the pirate but she didn’t like the surprise.
Max replied for her, “If you get to have Charming I get to have Hazel!” The pirate and the hatter took their seat on Chloe’s bed
Irritation flowed through Red and Chloe. “Chloe was there for most of the important milestones and she knows a lot of the facts.” Red said through her teeth. “I appreciate Hazel’s help in wonderland, but she wasn’t there for everything.”
Hazel let out a laugh. “Oh you mean the whole time travel thing? Max caught me up to speed.”Red didn’t like that Hazel knew of how they changed history. To her knowledge nothing Hazel’s life had changed dramatically so why should she be privy to this information. The pirate’s face turned serious and she pointed to the bed across from her, “Now stop stalling and answer his questions.”
Chloe and Red got the hint they returned to Red’s bed. Chloe wanted to level the playing field. “Reminder this meeting for us too. We have questions regarding any other possible changes.”
Max and Hazel shared a look. Hazel nodded towards Max. He took the lead, “Ok. How about this we trade. I ask question, you give me an answer and vice versa?”
Now Red and Chloe shared a look. Red mentally scanned his wording, she couldn’t find a trickery in it. She gave Chloe a slight nod. Once Chloe got Red’s signal she told Hazel and Max they agreee to their terms.
Max didn’t hold back in his first question, “In this original timeline were my father and I happy?
“As happy as you can be living under a strict tyrant.” Red stated plainly. She felt Chloe’s hand tighten as a reminder that she was with her. “My mother.” That wasn’t her life anymore. “I mean the Queen of Hearts had strict rules for all citizens of Wonderland, everything was neat and under her scrutiny.” By the looks of Max’s face he wasn’t satisfied. “Your father did his best to make you happy he even risked a beheading a couple times to make sure you could enjoy your life. You were his pride and joy.”
Red let Chloe take the first question, “I just have one brother right? Chad Charming? Kinda annoying but deep, deep, deep down has a good heart.” Red thought it was a a solid question. She assumed Chloe didn’t want any new siblings popping out of nowhere;
Max nodded. “Yep. Only one brother and he went to school with King Ben and Queen Mal.”
Once Max answered the question, Hazel’s eyes were on Max. Red was suspicious of Hazel’s focus on Max. Was he lying? Max asked his next question. “Were we friends?”
“My mom didn’t allow me to have friends. She always said love ain’t it.” Red had a small smile saying the Queen of Hearts’ old saying. “But you did know me and I did know you. Besides your father I was entirely alone.” Red regretted saying the last part she felt exposed.
Red wanted to move past her last statement as quickly as possible as possible. “Pink said this was our first day at school together. What did you know about me before I came to Auradon?” It was an ambitious question but it was something Red needed to know to exist in this timeline.
Hazel answered her question like she gossiping about a stranger, “Red of Hearts. The mysterious but rebellious older sister of Pink. We only know what Pink said. She said that you didn’t care about Auradon and enjoyed the ‘wonderlandness’ of your kingdom.”
“Why did I decide to go this year?”
Hazel and Max shook their heads. Red needed to wait her turn. “How did you know my father?” Max’s tone lost its edge for a moment.
Chloe looked to Red. The red headed realized she never told Chloe the origin of how she met Maddox. “Maddox is a genius. The Queen of Hearts’ wanted me to be taught by the best and who else then the man who created all of gadgets for her.” A small smile spread across Red’s lips as he thought back to Maddox’s attempts to tutor her. “He was a good tutor but I wasn’t a good student so we became friends. He listened to every word of my vent sessions and I listened to him as he talked about his inventions, his incredibly studious son and….” Red wasn’t sure if she could mention it so instead she said, “Any nerdy thing he could think of.”
Max had a scowl on his face as she faltered at the end of Red’s answer. “When did Maddox get sent to the Isle of the lost?”
“That’s not a question about you in this timeline.” Hazel was the first to point out the change in questions.
Red felt a sting of selfishness for not letting Chloe get the next question but it meant a lot to know when her friend was sent to live with the worse of the worst. “Doesn’t matter. I asked and I want an answer.”
Hazel placed her hand on Max’s shoulder. Red and Chloe braced themselves for the answer. “My father led another useless attempt to find the pocket watch and for your mother it was the last straw so she sent both of us to the Isle of the Lost.” Red couldn’t meet Max’s eyes. “So we showed up to the Isle of the Lost about a couple years later after it was formed as a couple of mad hatters.”
“Don’t worry I quickly plucked him out of obscurity and introduced him to my lovely crew.” Hazel was proud of her accomplishment and Max grinned as she retold her point of view. “I saw fresh meat that none of the older VKs would want so I staked my claim.”
Red and Chloe waited for the next question. However, at the mention of the Isle of The Lost Max seemed to shutdown. Hazel gave Max a small shove, “Ask her what you really want to know.” No question came from Max Hatter, “Fine! I’ll do it myself.”
“What can you tell us about his dad?” Max scowled at Hazel for asking the question; In all the time Red had knew Max this was the maddest she had seen him.
Chloe’s expression shifted into a state of confusion. “Red has already told you everything she knew about Maddox from our original timeline.”
Red sighed. She didn’t think she would have to talk about it. “No, Chloe she means the man Maddox married. His dad.” Red thought about how to approach this but she knew Max deserved nothing but the truth. “I don’t know much about your dad. Where I come from he had a really bad accident and didn’t make it.” Red was slow with her answer she didn’t know how Max would react. “But I do know after your Dad’s accident was when Max introduced me to you. It was the kindest thing the Queen of Hearts did. We didn’t talk much just played chess.”
“What happened in this timeline?” Red questioned. In Wonderland Max never mentioned his Dad.
“The same thing. But this time the accident made my father even more motivated to find the pocket watch.” Red wondered what Max would do with the pocket watch besides enacting revenge she was sure that Max would try to save his Dad and she found that almost commendable.
The Wonderland natives stopped asking and answering questions. Hazel and Chloe continued their interrogation game. Asking about small details, what kind of reputation did they have, had they dated somehow or questions about the Isle. When the questions stopped coming and the answers stopped forming both parties assumed this was the end.
Max Hatter however, had one last question. “Why would my father give the pocket watch to you?”
“He wanted me to have a chance at a happy life.”
Max didn’t accept that. He leaped off the bed, “The man you portrayed as a loving and caring father wanted his student to have happy life rather than his own son?”
Red had no words. She couldn’t explain it Max did raise a good point, why would Maddox pick her? Red almost considered telling Max a lie but a certain blue haired princess spoke up first.
“Max, your father cared deeply about you and Red. Maybe he saw that Red truly had no one besides himself in his corner so he made a risky choice.”
Max’s voice strained, “Why not me! I could’ve stopped the Queen of Hearts and saved my Dad.”
Chloe had a sad grin, “The watch travels in time due to what the user wants most. He didn’t just want to free Red he wanted to free you too from the Queen of Hearts.”
Red was grateful she had Chloe to help her figure this out. “I can never apologize enough for the fact you had to live on the Isle. Or the fact your father is seen as a mad man but you’re out of a strict Wonderland and you have a lot more of opportunities than you ever did.”
Max looked to Hazel, tears were forming in his eyes. No more questions or answers would be shared. “Thanks. I guess.” He walked towards the door and Hazel followed his lead out of the dorm.
Red and Chloe didn’t know what to expect from Max after this but they held each other knowing together they had avoided a worse fate.