Finding Alex | TLOS

A/N I just wanted to clear up that Morina is Bree's age, and not The Masked Man's age...so yeah :)

As she slammed the door behind her, Bree felt her chest tighten. She hated lying, especially to her closest friends. It made her feel guilty, and unsafe...Morina, who had bounded down the steps before Bree had, smiled politely back at her. 

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. She scratched at her hair, annoyed at herself for not doing something to it. "That was a perfect cover up, however I wasn't sure they were going to buy it, considering I look nothing like The Wicked Witch of the West. But thankfully, humans are reasonably stupid, and it worked." she flashed a smile in Bree's direction. 

Bree chuckled. "I guess so," she said. "And yes, I'm perfectly fine." 

They walked silently through the university campus. Bree smiled as she felt the memories resurfacing. The big library was centered right in the middle of the campus, and students mingled about, some reading books outside in the fresh air, some chatting with friends, and others typing furiously away at their computers. She remembered how sometimes Alex, Conner and her would go there after school. It brought tears to her eyes, to think that they might not ever do that again. 

She shook off the feeling, not wanting Morina to see. Bree led Morina into town, then underground to the metro. It was the fastest and most efficient way to get to Charlotte and Bob Gordon's house, and they would in record time. 

"What is that?" Morina asked, her eyes wide in surprise. She thought she had seen something like this before in The Otherworld, but she couldn't remember what the name was. "It looks like a big sandwich!" She snorted.

Bree giggled, amused by Morina's amazement and uselessness at what 'the subway' was.  "It's a train that travels underground. It's used in big cities to help people get from one place to another. Sometimes it can be better than cars because it travels underground, where there's no traffic. Some people call it a subway, but I call it a metro. It's what my parents have been calling it for decades, but I don't know where they got it from. Anyways, we need to get on it to go speak to Charlotte and Bob."

"Who are Charlotte and Bob?" Morina asked as they stepped onto the metro. "Those are such funny names. I've always been disturbingly interested in why The Otherworld had such silly names, like 'Alex' or 'Conner' and 'Bree'. A little foolish, don't you think?" she teased, her eyes twinkling. 

"I thought I told you, Morina. Charlotte and Bob Gordon are Alex and Conner's parents." Bree said, but she didn't mind the questions. "And I think The Land of Stories, as odd names. I mean, 'Morina'?" 

Morina giggled. "Oh, you did not just go there!" 

Bree smiled. "I just did." 

Once they had gotten off the metro and into the suburban neighborhoods once again, Bree turned to Morina. "It'll only take a little while to get to their house. How about we play a game?" 

Morina bit her lip. "What kind of game?" she asked. "A zapping cars, game?"

Bree shook her head. "No, nothing too violent," she chattered. "How about we play 'would you rather'?" 

"Alright," Morina approved. "Would you rather...play zapping cars or stop playing a game at all?" 

Bree sighed. "Stop playing a game at all, it is, then," 

Bree knocked on 1829 Sycamore Drive, taking a deep breath. Before the door opened, she jumped out of the way and pulled Morina away with her. 

"Never mind. I can't face her. What if she starts crying? What will I do then? Tell her Charlotte can come with us to get Alex? No way! It's not safe for her," Bree kept rambling on and on. "I'll just have to call her, I guess. If I can find her contacts here on my phone..." Bree scrolled around on her phone for a little while until she found something. "Ah, here we are. Conner's Mom." 

It rung for a few seconds until Charlotte Bailey Gordon picked up the phone. "Hello?" Charlotte said. 

Bree sighed in relief. "Hello, Charlotte," Bree said. "Sorry, Alex and Conner and I won't be making it home for the trip. Sorry for not showing up a few days ago." 

"Oh, darling, that's quite alright. I just wish you could have called earlier. And, please, Bree, you know the drill. Call me Mom," Charlotte said cheerfully, but Bree could tell her voice was strained with worry. 

"I can't take it anymore!" Bree shouted into the phone. "I have to tell you! I'm sorry! Alex has gone missing, and Conner and I went after her into The Land of Stories! That's why we didn't come home! And Conner's really worried about her, and I so am I! But don't worry, my friend Morina and I are going to find Alex! Don't worry!" she quickly hung up the phone and sighed in relief when she was done. 

Morina stared at her. "Are you sure you're okay? You look a little pale."

Bree sighed. "Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Just fine."

****

Conner re-watched the footage of his girlfriend getting led out of the library once more. After the clip had finished, Emerelda grabbed the remote and threw it out the room. "Stop it, Conner. You're punishing yourself watching this." she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I cannot believe Morina and that man took Bree! It looked like she was led out willingly!" 

Conner blinked, hard. "Are you sure we can't get audio on this? It would really help to know what they said to her, and I have to know where they took her. I have to know." Conner said. 

Red and Emerelda glanced at each other. "No, Conner. There's no way. We're sure Bree will turn up soon."

"But what about Alex? It's been like, two weeks already!" he said, but he knew he was exaggerating. "Come on. We have to search for her." He protested.

Emerelda sighed. "Well, I guess you're right Conner. I'll just call a quick meeting."

Everyone met in the new library. Emerelda cleared her throat. "It has been days since Alex Bailey has fled, and we have decided to take action against this. We will be planning search parties, and whoever volunteers may venture into the literary books." 

"No!" Conner shrieked, startling everyone in the room. "We can't get volunteers. No one will go if they think it's dangerous. We have to make them go if we want to get Alex back. Right now, all we need to decide is which armies are searching this world, The Otherworld, and the literary books." 

"The Northern Army can plan the search party in The Land of Stories," King Chance suggested. "It's the biggest and most powerful, and I'm not sure I want my men endangering themselves and traveling through other 'books'." Queen Snow White nodded in agreement, and clasped her hands in Chance's. 

"The two smallest armies can go through the books," Emerelda said. "That's so we don't risk too many lives." 

"How about The Corner Army and The Center Army?" Queen Rapunzel answered. "Is that fine with you, Charlie, Red?" 

"That'd be fine," Red said.

"Okay, now I just have to find the potion..." Conner muttered, turned around and slammed the door behind him.