Author's Note: I lost track of Once Upon a Time somewhere in Camelot, but I've seen enough commercials for this season to tell that they seem to be distancing themselves from the events of OUAT:Wonderland. Different Jafar, different stepsisters for Cinderella. Regardless of what was said about the stepsisters there, this is based on the Wonderland canon (and my interpretations thereof).

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Title: A Predetermined Course

Summary: Before the events of Wonderland, before she became the Red Queen, Anastasia Tremaine attended a different ball with different results.

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Anastasia Tremaine's mother had worked hard and married well. Then when her first husband died, she married even better. And this ball was to be the culmination of all that hard work.

The prince would be in attendance at the ball. Rumor had it he was searching for a wife. It was ridiculously ambitious to think that either of her daughters would be the one to catch his eye, but even the slightest possibility of it made that a goal worth pursuing. And if that didn't happen, then a betrothal to a nobleman would be a fine consolation prize. One thing was for sure, Will Scarlet had no place in Lady Tremaine's plans.

Anastasia always wanted to marry a prince. She should be happier about this. But all the excitement was clouded by the knowledge that she would have to tell Will. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Not just tell him. She would have to end things with Will.

She tried to raise her spirits by picturing the ball. Gliding around the floor with the prince, who she pictured as a vague, generically handsome man. She realized that she did not even know what the prince looked like, or anything else about the man. All she knew was that his wife would be princess and someday queen. Before Will, that was all she ever needed to know.

After the letter came, things started happening very quickly. There were only three days, and so much to do. That same afternoon, Anastasia's mother had the dressmakers at the house for measurements. Then there was an impromptu etiquette refresher that went on for three hours. Then there were the dance lessons. Drizella prattled on the entire time about how amazing this all was and how lucky they were. And she was right, and Anastasia tried to get into the spirit of things.

Anastasia was supposed to meet Will at their secret meeting place that evening, but there was never any opportunity for her to slip away. And then night fell, and Drizella wanted to keep talking about what the palace would look like and what the prince would be like. She would have gone on until morning if Anastasia hadn't reminded her of the importance of beauty sleep. Once she got rid of her sister, Anastasia had fully intended to go find Will. But it was so late, and he probably was not still there, and Sherwood Forest was not really safe at night. This wasn't the first time she had to miss a meeting because her mother was watching too closely. Will would just wait for her again the next day.

Anastasia did not go out to meet him the next day either. She knew that was wrong, that Will had a right to know what was happening. It was just that every time she thought about actually seeing him and telling him, she chickened out.

That night, Will found her. He threw pebbles at her window, and when she opened it, he climbed into her room. Her heart swelled at the sight of his dopey grin. "I didn't see ya. I got worried."

Anastasia started to admonish him for showing up here. If her mother caught him. . . But there was nothing more her mother could to him at this point. It was best to jump right in. "There's to be a ball, Will." It came out sounding sadder than she intended. "I mean, my family's been invited to a ball at the palace."

Will seemed to understand that there was bad news on the way. "Well, that sounds nice then," he said cautiously.

"The prince will be there. And my mother-" Will hung his head down, and Anastasia stopped talking. He knew what she was saying.

"It's time for you to find a husband." He lifted his head and looked her in the eye. "If not the prince, then some other nobleman."

They had never talked about it, but girls like Anastasia were expected to marry up. She had been groomed for it her whole life; it was the only ambition she had ever known. And then she met Will and, in an ill-advised move, got involved with him. But they were always headed for this. Still, she couldn't admit it. "My mother is making me go."

"Right." It was not clear whether he believed that. "When is-"

"Two days. The evening after next."

He nodded. "So that—That's that, then."

He did not really move. He just stood there awkwardly. Anastasia did not know what she would have done if he tried to leave just then. She supposed she would have let him go. She knew that would have to happen soon enough anyway. He'll go back to Sherwood Forest, she'll go to the palace or some nobleman's estate, and they would most likely never see each other again. All of a sudden this invitation did not feel like an honor; it felt like a tragedy.

But Will hadn't left yet, and that gave Anastasia hope that they would be able to finish on a better note. She took a step toward where he was standing near the window. "No, that can't be it. We still have two days." Although for the last two days, she had been unable to get away. That was unlikely to change as the ball got closer. She brought her hand up to his face. "Or at least, we still have tonight."

When she tried to bring his face down to kiss him, he held it steady. So Anastasia went up on her tiptoes to meet his mouth, but Will remained unmovable. Anastasia pulled away to ask what was wrong, but she already knew. "Will, please, I don't want it to end like this."

He hesitated for a moment. "We don't have much of a choice though, do we?"

A thought came to Anastasia, one she'd had before but never acted on. She took hold of his hands, and he finally acquiesced. She raised them to her bodice, holding them against her heart. "Then if this is to be our last night together, I want to be with you."

Will looked down at his hands on her chest and then up at her face. "Are you suggesting-" She nodded eagerly. "Ana, the prince will expect . . ."

This was another thing they didn't really talk about. Because Will was right, unmarried women of a certain social class did not do this type of thing. But right now, she could not care less what the prince or any nobleman would expect. Tonight, and for the next two nights, she was free to make her own decisions. No man had the right to expect anything of her; she did not belong to any of them yet. Or, as she looked at Will, another way of thinking of it was that just for tonight, she still belonged to him, and she wanted to make the most of that while she still could. "I don't care about any of that," she said breathlessly. She wasn't sure the prince or nobleman would even have to know.

Will's fingers played with the laces of her bodice, and that emboldened Anastasia. "I've thought about this a lot," she pushed. "I am sure."

Will bent his head down to kiss her, but just then there were voices in the hallway. Worried about being caught by her mother, Anastasia turned toward the door and listened for a moment. When she turned back, Will was gone.

Anastasia sank down on her bed. They didn't even get to have a goodbye kiss.

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Will Scarlet did pretty well for himself with bar maids and farmers' daughters, but Anastasia was different. It wasn't just because she was from a "good" family either. Right from the first time he met her, he knew Anastasia would just be different than the others. He also knew that he was different from the men who normally courted her and not in a good way.

It would be an exaggeration to say that he courted her. Snuck around with would be a more apt description. Anastasia's mother would never approve of her carrying on with the likes of Will. He always figured that was a large part of the appeal for Anastasia.

They did not really talk about it, but Will knew that he was not a longterm prospect for Anastasia. She was at a ball that very night with the goal of landing herself an appropriate husband. Even if the prince was too stupid to take notice of her, some nobleman was sure to. Anastasia was bound to be the most beautiful and charming woman there. Within a few minutes, any man would see how amazing she was. When she told Will how her mother was forcing her to go, he knew this night would likely be the end of their relationship. He went to sleep wondering if he would ever even see her again.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Will was awakened by knocking at the door to his cabin. As a thief, Will's first thought was that a disgruntled homeowner had found him, and he lay silently hoping the person would go away. But the knocking became more insistent, and he heard Anastasia calling his name. He lit a lantern and quickly dressed.

He opened the door to her still in her ball gown. Her hair was out of place and the skirt of her dress was crumpled. She was flushed, out of breath, but she looked happy. He assumed that she had come to tell him of some wonderful development, or god forbid her impending nuptials, and frankly he could have done without this scene.

Before Will could even think about shutting her out to make it all easier, Anastasia spoke. "He didn't choose me."

She sounded happy, but Will was wary. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about that."

"Glad," she breathed. "You should feel glad because it means I can still be with you." She stepped over the threshold. "I shouldn't have even gone tonight."

Will closed the door. "Your mother made you. I know." No, that wasn't even the point. This was just stalling the inevitable. "And I understand. Eventually, you're going to have to—"

"Why?" she interrupted, her eyes bright.

That was a dangerous question. He backed away from her. "Ana—"

She shook her head, not letting him finish. "I mean it, Will. We don't have to do anything. I know what my mother wants for me, and I know how hard she has worked, but this is my life."

That all sounded fine for right now, but Will decided to finish his original thought because it was true, and this was as good a time as any for them to face it. "Eventually, you're going to marry a nobleman. And yes, I'm glad you didn't show up here tonight betrothed to the prince, but I shouldn't be. Because if it's not him, it'll just be someone else. This is still going to end someday soon. It's just the way things are, Anastasia."

Anastasia took a deep breath, looking a little scared for the first time. "But what if—what if things didn't have to be that way? What if we just decide not to let this end?"

That was another dangerous question. They were standing with half the cabin between them, which granted was not that much space, but it felt like a gulf at the moment. She was standing in his home in the middle of the night, in a ball gown, asking him to tell her this was worth giving up on all of her dreams of wealth and a title. She must have ridden a horse miles through the dark and dangerous forest just because she needed to see him that badly. He should let her go. He should tell her that it wasn't that serious for him. He just couldn't form the words.

When he didn't say anything, Anastasia took a few steps toward him. "Doesn't that sound better than me marrying a man I don't even know?"

Will stood rooted to the ground, barely able to string his thoughts together. These weren't possibilities he ever allowed himself to consider. His head was telling him there was no point in what ifs, but Anastasia's pleading eyes were distracting. They were insisting that he tell her something different, indulge this fantasy. She was at a ball that night, surrounded by beautiful, expensive things, and this is what she was thinking about. He kept coming back to the fact that she was here now. He had his own hypothetical for her. "What if the prince had chosen you? Would you still be here right now?"

Anastasia did not answer right away, which was good. Will wanted her to really think about it. She stared up at the ceiling. Several times she moved her mouth as though to say something, but nothing came out. Finally she sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it wouldn't be too late. Maybe we could still just run away." After a short pause, she added, "But that didn't happen, so—so there's nothing stopping me from. . . I mean, I need you to tell me. . ." She trailed, too nervous to say what she was thinking.

There were things stopping her, but Will wanted to believe that it could all be this simple. He gestured around the cabin. "This is it, Ana. This is the life you're talking about."

Anastasia nodded. "If you ask me to stay, I will."

His breath caught in his throat. He was still torn between what he wanted and what he knew he should do. There was an easy way around the decision. "Well, you have to stay tonight. It's not safe to travel around here after dark."

Anastasia nodded. It was clear that was not exactly what she wanted him to say. "Okay then." She turned around. "Can you help me out of my dress?"

Will stared at her back. He had not really thought this through. He was just selfishly putting off the decision, not suggesting anything more. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "If I'm to stay here, I can't very well sleep in a corset and a hoop skirt." She pulled her hair away from her neck. "And I can't undo these hooks myself."

Will closed the gap between them with a couple long steps and went to work on those hooks. He tried not to let his hands linger over her back, but they refused to cooperate. When he got to the end, he ran his hands back up and slid the dress from her shoulders. He was rewarded with a small shiver. The dress pooled at her feet, and she stepped out of it.

She turned to face him, now wearing only the aforementioned corset and a plain cotton shift. The corset tied up the front, so she could probably manage that on her own. Will scooped up the dress, and since he did not really have anywhere to put it, he laid it carefully over a chair. Anastasia just watched him. "I should—" He cleared his throat. "I should step out and give you some privacy." And he meant to, he really did, but he was frozen in place.

Anastasia did not say a word. She untied her corset and loosened the laces one at a time. When the corset was loose enough, she pushed it down, shimmying it over her hips. He was aware that she was watching his face, but Will's eyes were on her body, now covered only by a thin, white piece of cloth.

"Right," she said. "So I'll just go to bed then."

Despite this, she did not move. Will dragged his gaze back up to her face. She held his eyes, searching for answers he did not yet have. There were two ways for Will to look at this. Either she was going to wake up in the morning, realize that she was making a huge mistake, and run back to her chance at nobility, in which case he should hold her off tonight before she did something she would regret. Or she was going to wake up, realize her mistake, and leave, in which case he should take advantage of this opportunity while it was here.

It wasn't easy, but he managed to say, "And I'll make up a pallet on the floor."

Anastasia shook her head and crossed the distance between them. "I didn't come here to spend the night alone in your bed, Will." She reached out with both hands and smoothed his shirt against his chest, and Will could feel his resolve crumble under her touch.

"Anastasia, you have to be very sure about this. Because any nobleman will expect—"

"I don't want a nobleman. I want you."

She had pretty much said that before. "They were probably swarming around you at that ball tonight. I'm sure tomorrow your mother will field several requests for your hand."

Anastasia wrapped her arms around his neck. "That's too bad because I'm not available. They'll have to marry Drizella."

Will laughed in spite of himself. "Drizella is a poor substitute for you."

She tilted his head down so that he was looking directly into her eyes, which were burning with intensity. "It's time to stop worrying about what other people want, noblemen and my mother. It's just you and me here. All that matters is what we want."

Will had been this close to her many times before, but only when both of them were wearing much sturdier fabrics. When she first brought this up two nights past, she said that she had thought about it a lot. So had Will. If he put aside any worries about the class system and societal expectations, this was absolutely what he wanted.

Anastasia did not need him to protect her from herself. Will knew with certainty that she never did anything she did not want to do. She was a woman who knew her own mind. She was strong-willed and fiercely independent. There was an injustice in the idea of sending her off to marry some stranger who did not know any of that about her. Anastasia deserved more than to be given away to a random nobleman who was only interested in her as a pretty face. She was asking for a night with a man who knew and loved every piece of her. There wasn't much Will had to offer a woman like her, but he could give her that.

Will kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her lower back and lifting her up. He carried her to the bed. They would deal with the morning when it came.

FIN