Once Upon a Second Chance

(12) - House of Hatter

Jefferson, Jay, Carlos who was holding Dude, and the Facilier sisters step out of Jefferson's car and stare in amazement at the massive house in front of them. He really wasn't joking when he said he had more than enough space for four people.

Jefferson spun his keys out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and welcomed the kids in with dramatic gestures. "Welcome... to the House of Hatter!"

"More like the house of giants," Freddie said, still gaping at the house as she walked inside. Being fresh from the Isle, she wasn't used to seeing such large and extravagant buildings.

"What are these?" Jay asked, coming over to a stack of maps on the piano.

"Oh, yeah. I practice cartography in my spare time."

"You think you could make a map of this house? Cause I feel like I would get lost in it. It's huge! And I'm small enough as it is!" Dude complained.

They had to admit, Jefferson's house really matches with his aesthetic—colorful and curious, as well as mysterious and dangerous. It looked like something straight out of Wonderland.

"Yeah, well, one of the only good things that I've seen from Regina," Jefferson grumbled, bitterly. "When she cursed me a life of wealth, she cursed me to live it alone," he said sadly.

That was when Jay realized something. "Wait, I remember reading in Henry's storybook that the Evil Queen abandoned you in Wonderland and you went insane trying to create a hat that could take you back to the Enchanted Forest. So, if you never managed to escape Wonderland... how did you get swept up in the curse?"

"Was it possible that the curse's power was able to reach out to lands other than the Enchanted Forest?" Freddie guessed as she looked over to her younger sister who was admiring the stack of cards on display over the fireplace.

"Or maybe because it was just convenient for the storyline?" Carlos muttered, sitting down on the sofa. Everyone gave him a look of confusion before a low sound of cracking, alarms, and people yelling was heard from around them.

"What the hell was that?!" Jay asked with wide-eyes after the commotion was over, looking around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.

Carlos sighed, "The consequences of me cracking the fourth wall."

"Okay, I have no idea what you were just talking about," Jefferson said, pointing at Carlos, "But the Queen of Hearts, Regina's mother, brought me over to the Enchanted Forest moments before the curse through a looking glass and force-fead me a memory potion so I would have my real memories along with my curse memories when I was swept up.

She wanted me to remember because she knew I had a vendetta against the Regina and wanted me to make her life a living hell so when she came here after it was broken, she would help pick up the pieces. And as much as I wanted to make Regina's life a living hell, if the Queen of Hearts wanted something from me, I would be mad to comply." Jefferson finished his explanation and heard the door open. "Oh, just in time." He got up and walked over to the now seventeen-year-old girl who just arrived and smiled questioningly at the houseguests.

"Hey, weren't you two of the kids that appeared that Henry's baby uncle's birthday party?" Grace asked Jay and Carlos.

"That's us," Jay said, scratching the back of his neck.

"They'll be staying with us for a while until we can get them home to their realm. Why don't you show them around?" Jefferson turned to his daughter who obliged and was thrilled at the idea of having people her own age around. Don't get her wrong—She loves her father, but she sometimes felt lonely when it was just the two of them all the time.

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Jay and Carlos were sitting in Carlos's room that was right next to Jay's after they'd had a tour of the house and eaten dinner. Carlos was looking out the balcony and Jay was sitting on the bed next to a a sleeping Dude. They were just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. It had been a long day for them.

"So, Jefferson and Grace seem nice," Carlos said.

"Yeah, sometimes it still amazes me how accommodating people can be to complete strangers," Jay said.

"...Jay" Carlos was hesitant to talk.

"Mm?" Jay responded, his head laid back on the headboard of the bed and half-asleep.

"You weren't... half-excited to meet another version of your dad?" Carlos asked, still admiring the forest from the balcony. "Maybe one that would turn out better than the one you were given?"

Jay put his head up as he was deep in thought. "Maybe... What about you?"

Carlos wasn't going to hide it. "Yeah. I saw the way Evie and Harry's alternate parents turned out and I genuinely hoped mine would be the same. And maybe..." he inhaled a sharp breath, "maybe I could feel wanted. Stupid idea, I know."

"There's nothing stupid about wanting to be loved, Carlos. Yeah, we love each other like family, and I guess that will just have to be enough because it seems that decent parents, it isn't in the cards for the two of us."

"It just doesn't seem fair."

"Carlos, I know Auradon has changed us a lot—I mean, look at us. We're talking about emotions, something we didn't dare think about back in the Isle. But, there's one thing we should never forget from the that hellhole—that life isn't fair. We just have to make do with what we can get our hands on."

Carlos shook his head, as though the thoughts will evaporate from his brain that way. "You're right." He walked back into the room.

Jay decided to lighten the mood. "Hey, it looks like everyone's asleep." He looked at Dude to make sure the dog was asleep, because he knew how much he likes to tattle. He leaned forward and spoke in a lower tone. "How about you and me pull a couple pranks on the townies."

Carlos gave a hesitant look.

"Ahh, come on! It'll be fun. Just like the old days. Pull a few harmless practical jokes. Just the two of us. What do you say?"

Carlos bit his lip in thought. He did miss causing a little mischief. He didn't remember the last time he and the others had pulled a prank or two. They couldn't back in Auradon out of fear they would get sent back to the Isle. But they couldn't send them back now, can they? He chuckled, "Let's do it."