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Red sat in her room staring at herself in the mirror. Everyone had just stopped Maddox from hurting her mother. She had saved her mother, saved her from becoming evil again, saved her from being hurt or worse. Killed.
Red should be thrilled shouldn't she? Everyone was alive and Maddox was getting the help he needed from herself, max, pink and her mother. However she was still so sad. Red was able to save everyone's fate except the one person that mattered to her most of all, the one person she can't live without. She wasn't able to save Chloe.
She had tried so hard to make Chloe give up the bracelet that turned her from sweet and caring to cruel and heartless, she played the moment over and over in her head.
~ ~ ~
Red took Chloe's hand in her own, looking at her with nothing but care and love. She could do this, Chloe just needed to know that she cared and she did with all of her heart, after all Chloe is the love of her life.
"Figure it out figure it out together..."
She saw something shift in chloe's demeanour, her eyes went softer, her grip softened on Red's hand.
"Figure it out figure it out tog-"
"No."
Chloe ripped her hand out of Red's stepping back, her harsh features returning gripping the pocketwatch with all her strength. Red threw herself forward snatching the watch from her best friends hand and throwing it in the pool to be lost forever. Watching the letters form on the water she sighed before turning back to see Chloe still evil, still holding onto her bracelet as if guarding it from anyone who may try to take it from her. Guarding it from Red.
"Chloe..."
Charming took a few steps backwards glaring at Red, then to max then back to Red again.
"This is who I am now Red. A villain."
Without another word Chloe climbed out of the hole they all fell through.
~ ~ ~
That was the last time Red saw Chloe, she didn't even show up to save their mothers from Maddox. Red knew Chloe felt betrayed and angry, after all Red did sacrifice her to a deadly flower causing hazel to save her. She would be mad too if it were the other way around, except Red knew there would be no other way around, Chloe wouldn't have done that to her.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in!"
Ella walked in her hands clasped together, her face etched with worry.
"Red, my dear. What happened to my daughter? Where is she?"
Red sighed turning away from the mirror to face her, guilt filling her insides.
"I betrayed her... now she's become a villain and it's all my fault."
Ella sat down on a chair next to Red. Sweeping the younger girls hair out of her face, gentle touches trying to soothe her like she was a child again.
"Someone choosing to become evil isn't your fault Red. We know more than anyone that Chloe isn't a villain, she's hurt. She may choose to change back but she may also choose to stay this way. I don't care what she chooses I just want my daughter to come back home. And I'm sure that's what you want too..."
Ella's words rang through red's head a million times in just a few minutes.
"Yeah.. me too, I don't care who she chooses to be I just need her in my life."
Red hugged Ella and smiled at her.
"I'll get her back Ella I promise, leave it to me I know exactly where she is."
Ella stood up, squeezing Red's hand.
"I know you will my dear"
Red watched as Ella left her room.
Red turned back to the mirror thinking about the last words Chloe said to her.
"This is who I am now Red. A villain"
Red picked up the looking glass remembering how the old version of her mum showed her a future where she is evil.
"A villain"
Red straightened her hair and changed her outfit. The outfit the mirror showed her, an outfit suitable for a villain. Sometimes fate doesn't play out the way you would expect. Sometimes fate chooses you, sometimes you choose your fate.
~ ~ ~
Red approached the white rabbits cottage, Chloe sat by the lake twirling her pocket knife between her fingers. As soon as Chloe spotted Red she stood putting her guards up. Her body language changing as if she's shielding herself from her.
"Nice outfit change."
Chloe's voice was dark, the bracelet starting to take full effect on her.
"My mum once showed me my future in the looking glass. A future where I accept my fate as a VK."
Red stood mere inches away from Chloe mirroring her posture.
"I don't care what version of Chloe you decide to choose-"
"I choose this!"
"Yes. Yes I know. I know I hurt you, I don't want to lose you Chloe, you are my everything. I realise that now. I would do anything not to lose you."
Red took the knife from Chloe's hand and put it back in Chloe's side pocket before taking her hands in her own. Then she started to sing softly
(Sing this in the tune of fight of our lives: Bold is Red normal is Chloe and italic and bold is both of them)
"We might not be a team but we gotta try..."
"Did you change your heart or just change your mind?" Chloe joined in.
"So we'll stand side by side, hope not to die..."
"I'm kind of surprised that we're on the same side..."
"Look to the future not the past, we gotta move forward where we're at..."
"The moment is now, and it will last"
"So we're on the same side in the fight of our lives"
Red hugged Chloe tight, surprised Chloe hugged her back. She pulled away gently grabbing her chin and smiling.
"Evil together?"
Chloe rolled her eyes.
"Evil together."